


Russian Roulette

by cappucakku



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Best Friends, Bets & Wagers, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Hogwarts Inter-House Rivalries, Humor, Male Friendship, Mild Smut, Romantic Comedy, Sexual Tension, Teen Romance, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-04-07 07:46:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14076201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cappucakku/pseuds/cappucakku
Summary: Three men. One woman. A bet. A rule. Lines will be drawn, friendships will be tested as only one can have the most coveted of Hogwarts and be hailed as the King, Conqueror of the Unattainable, Keeper of Hearts, and Male Supreme. In this game of romance, every soul will be on the line as they dared to take a dangerous leap towards love.





	1. Turning Wheels

             Crowds parted for them as they made their way to the Great Hall. It was amusing, really, to watch as their schoolmates create a path for them when all they wanted to do was throw themselves at them, well, their female and homosexual schoolmates. The remaining population, in this case the  _straight_  males, would rather stay away from them in  _a_.) fear,  _b_.) to avoid being ridiculed, and the most important and delightful reason of all is  _c_.) to smother their envy towards them. Who could blame them? They have everything any man would want. They have the looks. They have the reputation. They have the wealth. They have the wits. All the girls come flocking at them and every command they issue will be done in a snap of a finger.

             Being born into families of the highest and most noble of pedigree has its perks and it was definitely something that they, the Three Princes, put to good use. Everybody who's anybody knows who they are. It's quite a sight to see the three of them together, not that they aren't always together. People say that men like them usually congregate with people similar to their status and they couldn't agree more. They were at the top of the tier and out in society, associating with people less than them is absolutely ludicrous but, here at Hogwarts, they can run wild and free, establishing their influence and superior qualities to people that captured their attention.

             It's not difficult to gain their awareness as they have the pick of the litter. Girls,  _boys_  go out their way to have a little bit of interaction with them just to brag to anyone who might listen that they had a brief liaison with them. They couldn't blame them, really. Who wouldn't want to be involved with Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini? There are other agreeable guys at Hogwarts but, they don't hold a candle to them. Even Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived, a living legend for defeating the Dark Lord in the bright age of one, is nothing compared to them. He had little to offer except his fame as his social and personal merits are sorely lacking. Though girls find his shy, fumbling, and awkward personality adorable, most girls would immediately grow bored and seek something more thrilling which the three of them easily represent.

            They, the Three Princes, embody everything teenage girls crave for: adventure, excitement, and pleasure. If that wasn't enough, the knowledge that they are from the Slytherin House was the final seal to lure girls into the charms of the forbidden. The illustrious house of Green and Silver was the odd one out amongst the four Houses of Hogwarts but, it isn't old news to know that the most famous and successful witches and wizards came from Slytherin, even if they became the most evil wizard of all time. Their schoolmates avoid them as much as possible but, it's almost impossible when the hottest and sexiest students belong to the House of Snakes. Building their reputation wasn't easy as they were, at one point, virgins as well but, once they jumped over that title, they were nothing short but, Gods.

            For two years, they sustained their titles with no one to contend and this year, their last year, will be the same. It was fun and uplifting to be known as the Three Princes but, it was getting tiresome. They have everything they can ever ask for and now they want something that will make their blood boil. They want to do something reckless and surprising, just to end their final year at school with a bang and make it as memorable as possible. With that thought in mind, the trio entered the Great Hall with their individual horde of simpering girls trailing behind them. They swaggered to their usual seat at the Slytherin table and almost every female within the vicinity tidied themselves up in an attempt to look pretty and hope that they can capture their eyes.

            As they sat, the Slytherin girls swooped down at them like vultures that it made breakfast a difficult affair. Fortunately for them, Pansy Parkinson, Tracey Davis, and Daphne Greengrass shooed the girls away with just a glare. The three girls were the revered Princesses of Slytherin and most boys drooled and panted over them like depraved dogs. They were the female version of the Three Princes, making them the target of most of the girls' hatred and disdain. Of course, being the Slytherins they are, the three of them didn't pay any notice of it. Instead, they used it like a weapon. The trio of them were as vicious and cunning as the Three Princes, igniting rumours and gossips that the six of them were actually paired up and were just playing around before getting serious.

           Of course, it was a load of horseshit. The boys regarded the three girls as their sisters even though at one point, Draco and Pansy dated one another and Daphne developed a tiny crush on Blaise. Draco and Pansy realized that their love for one another will never escalate to a romantic one and both parties ended the relationship civilly, promising one another that they will remain friends. True to word, the two groups of friends became closer, like a family, and they never did anything without the other. It was tradition for the six of them to eat breakfast together and it was always a grand sight to see that the six of them were at the Great Hall, eating and laughing like ordinary kids.

"Why didn't the three of you waited for us at the Common Room?" Daphne asked as she gave the three guys a frown. The Blonde beauty slid to her seat next to Draco, who was sitting next to Blaise. The Platinum-Blonde gave Daphne a kiss on the cheek and all around them, they heard the girls sigh in envy. The group merely ignored them.

"I bet it was because Blaise was starving. I swear, his Black pit of a stomach is rapidly matching up the Weasel's." Pansy exclaimed, smiling wickedly at her Blonde-haired girl-best friend as she sat beside Theo.

"I resent that!" Blaise cried, his hand stopping from shoving a spoonful of bacon in his mouth.

"Right. That spoon halfway across your mouth is doing you great justice." Tracy drawled, sarcastically as she slid to her seat next to Pansy.

"For your information, we didn't wait for you because  _Draco_  was hungry." Blaise scowled, biting the strips of bacon in his spoon. The three girls looked at the pale boy in question.

"What were you doing last night to make you that famished?" Pansy inquired, her groomed brows arching above her Obsidian orbs.

"Uh, correction. I think your question should be along the lines of ' ** _Who_** _were you doing last night_?'." Theo replied as he buttered his croissant and Blaise chuckled.

"Who was it this time? That sixth-year Ravenclaw? Oh, maybe it's that fifth-year Slytherin that's been eyeing you since the term began? Wait! I know! It's that seventh-year Hufflepuff, isn't it?! The one with Auburn hair and really skinny legs." Tracey enumerated with a grin on her face.

"None of the above, Tracey. I was in the library." Draco exclaimed with a smirk. The five rolled their eyes at him. Among the six of them, he was the only one who, dare they say it, enjoyed going to the library. He was almost the same as Hermione Granger, resident bookworm and annoying know-it-all but, to a lesser extent. For all they know, the Muggle-born witch probably has a cot or something inside the library because it seems like the girl lives there.

"Oh Merlin, please don't tell me that you're not becoming like Granger, living inside the library. This is like…the third time you've been inside the library for the week! And we've barely been back! Please don't say that you're already studying for NETWs because if you do, I'll permanently stick swan feathers inside your dorm room." Daphne threatened. It was true. They were halfway finished with the week since they returned and it seemed like their professors were lulling them into a false sense of security considering this is their NEWT year. Most grabbed the opportunity to relax knowing that the last couple of months before the year ends will be spent stressing and dreading about the most important exam in their life but, some people, like Draco and unsurprisingly, Granger, were studying every moment they got but, unlike the Malfoy heir, the brunette witch didn't know when to stop.

"Witch, I'm not as boring and dull like Granger." Draco stated, sneering at the girl beside him, inwardly blanching at the thought of her threat, knowing that if he pushed her hard enough, she'll come through with her warning. "If you must know, I was researching for our Potions assignment. Snape was probably in a bad mood for assigning us that homework, given how difficult it is. I just wanted an early start on it. That way, I have more time to do things." He finished, sending a wink to a group of Ravenclaw girls who were staring at him. The girls blushed and giggled, whispering to each other as they chatted about him.

"Speaking of Potions, today's the day we get to know who our lab partners are." Pansy interjected, grimacing.

"Merlin, don't remind me. I don't want to think about it." Blaise groaned.

"Just imagine having Finnigan as your partner." Tracey said as she shivered dramatically.

"Or worse, Longbottom." Theo chimed in, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

         Sighs and groans erupted from the six of them as they imagined having the disastrous, stuttering, blubbering mess of a boy, Neville Longbottom. Granted, he wasn't much of a boy now, not when he grew inches taller, his skin got tanner, and muscles formed, stripping away the lumps of fat from his new fit figure. He was no hunk but, girls were starting to notice him and he would be occasionally seen with a few of his newly-formed adoring fans. Still, that doesn't excuse how horrible he is at Potions and they were dreading to be paired with him. This situation made most of the Slytherins protest but, it was nothing compared to the objection the Gryffindors had.

         A week after the term began, Snape decided to leave them with the most foreboding dismissal that they had. The Potions Master assigned them to make the Draught of Living Death for the remainder of the lesson after an hour of monotonous lecture. Everyone was concentrated doing their potions with the occasional muffled cries of Longbottom as his cauldron melted (again) and the explosive concoctions of Finnigan. When the bell sounded for the first warning, he ordered them to clean up their stations and leave their potions to simmer for him to check. The few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs scraped by with minimal comments and sneers from the professor. As usual, Gryffindors were at the end of his vicious tongue-lashing, especially with Potter, Weasley and Longbottom. Being the head of Slytherin made the greasy-haired man biased with his own House as he merely graded their work without as much lecture as he did with the Gryffindors which prompted the Terrible Twosome to insult Snape, leading for the man to deduct fifty points from both of the imbeciles.

         In true Slytherin nature, they laughed at the misfortune of the Gryffindors but, it eventually died down into a horrified silence when Snape announced that the class will be coupled off with a student from the opposing house for the remainder of the year for their Potions final. The stillness only lasted for a minute before the entire class burst into a flurry of complaints. Not one to tolerate noise and insolent Gryffindors, Snape ordered all of them out of the classroom and locked them outside, leaving angry lions and scowling snakes. The two Houses then proceeded to bicker with one another only to be broken apart by McGonagall who was on her way to see Snape to deliver a message from Dumbledore.

         The Transfiguration Professor had no qualms in deducting points from both Houses and another fight would have formed once more if not for her threatening gaze. The relationship between Slytherin and Gryffindor worsened because of that particular event and no one was particularly keen on going in today's class which happens to be NEWT Potions, meaning that they have to suffer the company of the Gryffindors until lunch. The mere thought of being subjected to such torture was more than enough for the three boys to suggest that they skip it.

" _Hell no_. Uh-uh. We're not skipping Potions. As much as I want to, I don't want to miss out what will be our finals. This is my last year and I don't want to fail in anything or else my parents will look at me as if I have failed them and honestly, I don't want them to give me that look because it might be worse than getting grounded until I'm thirty." Daphne said, adamantly, her Blue eyes swept at the faces of her friends. The three boys gave her a pout of their own but, the Blonde girl only stared at them, her eyes narrowing.

"Come on, guys. What's the worst that could happen?" Tracey quizzed, watching her four friends with an amused expression.

"Do you even have to ask that? I could be paired with Weasley or Finnigan or, oh dear Merlin, I hope I won't be with Longbottom. It'll be a catastrophe!" Blaise wailed as he dropped his face to his palms and mock wept.

"I think that they'll be a better choice compared with Granger, ugh. She's such a nightmare." Pansy drawled, her face screwing up into a mask of disgust.

"No offense but, I'll take Granger to be my Potions partner any day than be stuck with Weasley, Finnigan or Longbottom. Even if she's a Muggle-born, she knows what she's doing. Plus, she's not exactly bad to look at." Theo countered, biting into his English muffin.

"Ooohhh, someone's got a crush!" Blaise sing-songed, earning him a well-aimed, half-eaten muffin to the head. He gave Theo a glare and flipped the bird at him to which the dirty-Blonde Slytherin merely smirked at.

"Please, she looks mediocre. If I know, you're just saying that knowing that she might overhear you and you'll use that to butter up to her so that you can leave most of your work to her." Pansy commented.

"For sure, you'll do it too." The dirty-Blonde Slytherin retorted and the Jet-Black haired girl threw a piece of raspberry on his face which Theo elegantly avoided.

"I happen to pride myself in being fair." She spat.

"Funny, I didn't know that you're fair. I mean, look at all the boys you've played." Theo replied, smirking as Pansy's face turned stone cold.

"Don't be a saint, Nott. You're even worse than I am so, don't make it seem like I'm the only one playing here." The Jet-Black haired girl snapped, her Obsidian eyes glowering at him.

"Woah, okay, guys. You're making a scene." Tracey interrupted before a full-blown argument erupted between two of her friends. Slytherins rarely have fights and if they did, it's an affair that's done in private. As the alumni of their House told them, Slytherins are self-preserving people. They uphold their image and reputation to the highest degree. To show weakness and conflict to the masses is a grave sin.

"You guys can fight all you want inside the Common Room but, for now, you have to suck it up and prepare for Potions." Daphne announced as she pushed her plate aside and grabbed her things.   

         The rest of them copied the Blonde beauty's actions with the occasional glaring between Pansy and Theo. As the bell rang, signalling the end of breakfast and the beginning of classes, the six of the hurriedly but, gracefully trudged to their dreaded Potions class. Along the way, girls and boys of various years went and stopped them for hilarious love confessions and unnecessary gifts. By the time they arrived at the classroom, the whole class was inside the room and Snape was doing the roll call. The Potions Master merely took a glance at them as they took their seats while the Gryffindors scowled at them, irritated at his blatant discrimination and favouritism.

         When the final student's name was called which happens to be Blaise, the dark chamber was immediately filled with anxiety as they waited in baited breath for the professor to recite the pairings for their Potions final. The students eyed Snape with sour expressions as he produced another parchment obviously bearing the matches.

"Up, all of you." He barked. The class followed his order, scampering to the side and prayed to Merlin that they be paired with somebody they can tolerate.

"When I call your names, proceed to your designated seats. I do hope that you will be able to find it without my help but, frankly, I have my doubts." He drawled as he sneered at the Gryffindors, specifically, Longbottom. The boy cowed and he subtly stepped back to be beside Potter.

"I shall begin. Abbott of Hufflepuff with Boot of Ravenclaw." He began. The two students, who were called draw up to the centre aisle, shook their hands and went to their seat.

         Names were called as one by one, Snape paired them off. So far, no Slytherins have been paired off with any Gryffindors. This little tidbit has not escaped the eyes of both houses and they wished earnestly that it remained that way. Alas, the one thing that they unconsciously, silently, and unknowingly agreed upon happened as Snape announced the next pair.

"Potter of Gryffindor with Davis of Slytherin." The Potions Master spat Potter's name with vehemence as if the very utterance of The-Boy-Who-Lived's surname was poison.

         The two sets of friends both looked at their own peer, who, they noted, looked about to vomit. As far as House Rivalry goes, Gryffindor and Slytherin have it worse compared with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. A lot of bad blood has been going on between the House of Green and Red especially, when Draco and his mates clashed with Potter and his sidekicks. Being in the same place as the other is bad but, with them partnered off together, it would seem that Snape is determined to create his own version of hell.

"Oh Merlin. I can't believe my luck. Potter? As in  _Potter_? Of all the people, why him?" Tracey groaned, softly as she massaged her temples.

"Well, look on the bright side, at least it's not Weasley." Daphne consoled, patting the girl on her shoulder.

"You better go before Snape goes ballistic." Pansy warned, pushing Tracey out of their circle and into the open. She subtly gave the other girl the finger and Pansy merely waggled her fingers to her with a smirk on her face.

         Grudgingly, she walked up to the middle at the same time as Potter was shoved to the aisle by Granger. The bespectacled boy glared at the Muggle-born witch, who in turn rolled her eyes.

"Any time now, if you will, Mr. Potter. We don't have all day." Snape snapped, impatience running thick in his tone.

         In an attempt to make the painful affair end, Tracey whipped out a hand to which the Saviour of the Wizarding World gawked at.

"Just take my hand, Potter, so that we can sit down and have the next pair matched. I don't like this as much as you do so, for both our sakes,  _just take my hand_." She hissed lowly. Thankfully, Potter shook her hand albeit hesitantly and Tracey ignored the shock of magic that thrummed through her arm the moment her skin collided with his.

         After they sat on their station, the professor continued pairing off the remaining students. In a stroke of luck, Theo and Daphne were paired together which seemed odd as no other student was paired with their Housemate. Nevertheless, the two of them amiably went to their seat, located at the middle, and continued their conversation, quietly. Pansy was coupled with Anthony Goldstein and the girl went to shake the boy's hand without so much of a fuss. His Godfather called three more pairs before he called for his name.

"Malfoy of Slytherin with Granger of Gryffindor."

         The collective gasps of almost all of their classmates, including Granger's and the outraged cries of Potter and Weasley was startlingly loud in the rather gloomy and silent dungeon. Eyes swivelled from him to Granger to Snape and back again as if staring at them would somehow bring them back to the reality they knew. Draco remained silent as he gazed at the shell-shocked expression marring Granger's face. At the background, he could see Weasley raging like an enraged bear, preaching about the unfairness and irrationality of Snape's decision.

"Silence! Mr. Weasley, do shut your mouth or I will deduct points from Gryffindor for your incessant shouting and cheek. Mr. Potter, I cannot recall asking you to stand up. Sit down." Snape hissed, his dark eyes narrowing at the younger wizard.

"But-"

"I don't need to hear any drivel from your mouth, Mr. Potter. This is my class and I make the decisions. If you have any complaints, I suggest you take them up to Professor Dumbledore but, I assure you, anything you say will not be able to persuade him as this entire arrangement has him as the architect. If you are quite finished interrupting and questioning my choices, sit down." He almost purred at Potter as the boy's face paled in horror at the knowledge that the Headmaster was mastermind of this atrocious grouping.

"Don't make me ask you again for the  _third_  time, Potter or I will take fifty points from Gryffindor for your lack of respect and disobedience." Snape threatened as Potter remained standing. The Golden Boy stayed rooted on his spot in order to glare at the professor and only when the Potions Master's thin patience snapped did he return to his seat. The hooked-nosed man glowered at the boy before turning his attention to the rest of the class, hooded eyes resting on Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger, I believe that I called the both of you. Unless you two are perpetually indisposed, I expect you to go to your station and  _remain_  silent." The professor stated, his voice clipped and strained with irascibility.

         Not wanting to test his Godfather's patience any longer, Draco strutted to the middle and patiently waited for his partner to stand next to him. He was alerted of her presence not with her footsteps or her silhouette but, with her scent. It wasn't powerful and pungent as the other perfumes of other girls. It has the soft scent of strawberry, grapefruit, jasmine, vanilla, and violet - fruity and floral, reminding him of summertime and vast meadows. He unconsciously turned to her, lured in by her scent, noticing for the first time that she was a lot smaller than he thought she was. He towered over her and he liked seeing her tilting her head just to stare at him.

         He offered his hand for her to shake and the girl tentatively reached out for his palm. Draco noticed how smooth and soft her hand was. He just meant to hold her hand for three seconds but, he found himself bending down and planting his lips on her knuckles. With his mouth on her skin, it even felt softer than he originally thought. He heard every splutter, every gasps, and every cry of disbelief but, he ignored it all as he stared at Granger's wide, shock-filled eyes. The thought he had earlier this morning stuck to the forefront of his mind and he decided that maybe, she was the answer to his boredom.

         Hermione Granger was, in every sense of word, perfect. He might not be courageous to admit that fact out loud but, inside his mind, he was willing to shout it perfectly clear. Before, he saw her nothing as a girl beneath his feet because of her inferior birth and blood and her House affiliation but, every time she managed to do a spell, cast a charm, transfigure an object, create a potion, recite all of the correct answers with utmost ease and grace, his pure-blooded prejudice began to crumble and it all shattered to pieces when she punched him on the face. Granted, he kind of deserved it but, he never thought that she would use her fist.

         From then on, he saw her differently. She was no longer the annoying know-it-all, goody-two shoes, Brains of the Golden Trio. She is the protagonist of every boy's wet dream. Contrary to Pansy's words about her mediocrity, she is the girl most females envy for her beauty and brains. She is the girl the whole Wizarding World is proclaiming to be the Brightest Witch of The Age. She is the Head Girl, Gryffindor's Golden Girl and Hogwarts' Queen. She intrigued him as much as she attracted the rest of the male population at Hogwarts but, no one dared approach her for she is the unattainable, flawless, everyone's Idol. He will change that. He will capture her, charm her, seduce her and when she's putty and crazy in his hands, he will dump her and be finally hailed as King, Conqueror of the Unattainable, Keeper of Hearts, and Male Supreme. It will be the hottest game Hogwarts might ever witness and he was more than willing bet on it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! I have a new story for y'all! For those who know me, I know I said that I won't be able to write or update my other stories but, this story is begging to be written and posted so, here it is! I actually lost to myself...I know, it sounds weird but, in my head, it sounds perfectly normal. Damn me and my lack of self-control. Anyway, this is a new story revolving around my favorite character, Hermione. I mean, come on! Who doesn't love Hermione? She's the perfect combination of smarts, sass, and looks. She's the perfect heroine! I simply adore her. She can be with anyone but, I seriously don't like her with Ron. No offense to all Romione shippers out there, I just can't see the appeal to it. *hides under a desk I will be saying this now, this story will be updating once a month. I am a currently caught up with fixing my life here at my new home in L.A. so, I hope you can put up with me. Reviews are most welcome because I love reading what you guys think of my story and it is very motivating, ya know. Don't forget to favorite and follow me! Stay awesome, lovies~
> 
> Love, love, love,
> 
> cappucakku
> 
> P.S. I almost forgot. This is an AU wherein Harry defeated Voldemort at the age of one-year old (what a genius babe!).


	2. Operation Game On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conversation of three guys, lol. Do hope that you guys find them hilarious.

“Holy blistering hell! _Fuck_! I can’t believe I got stuck with stinking Weasley! What’s worse is that I have to spend detention with the fucker for a _month_!” Blaise fumed as he slumped down on a couch inside the Slytherin Common Room.

               The three of them decided to forgo lunch in exchange for the peace and quiet the dungeons can offer. After the outrageous display of Draco towards Granger, Snape was one step from exploding but, what made the Potions Master erupt was the tantrum that both Blaise and Weasley threw when he announced that they were partners. Words were said, fists were thrown, and one side of the classroom was in a state of disarray as the two boys rolled around as they tried to beat each other to a bloody pulp. Being slightly bigger and muscular than the Gryffindor, Blaise managed to land potent punches on the other boy’s face and torso while he was left unscathed except for mild scratches.

               Of course, the brawl was efficiently halted by Snape when he viciously stunned them both and as much as he hated it, deducted points off from both Gryffindor _and_ Slytherin together with a month’s worth of detention due to the damage they caused inside the Potions classroom and their immature behaviour. The disaster didn’t end when he announced that they were to be working together for the rest of the year, not only as lab partners for the final. By the end of the lesson, all of the Gryffindors and Blaise were in a foul mood that yet another fight was about to commence if not for Granger and Goldstein, the Head Students, threatening the two sets of groups of detention.

               Weasley, the idiot that he was, didn’t back down and directed his anger to Granger. The Muggle-born witch didn’t even waste her breath to fight off the ranting Weasel. Instead, she hexed the pathetic excuse of a wizard to vomit slugs, reminiscent of their second year and gave him two weeks detention with McGonagall. The Head Girl then swept out of the scene in a huff with Goldstein trailing behind her like a dog wagging his tail and the rest of the Gryffindors, leaving Potter to care for Wealsey. The scene was comical and it was more than enough to make any Slytherin’s day great but, even the momentary distraction given to them by Granger wasn’t enough to divert the disturbing arrangement from their minds.

               Blaise kept ranting all the way and the girls had enough of his moaning that they left them to care for the bitching wizard which ended up with the three of them to ensconce themselves in the cosy Common Room.

“Hey, be grateful that you’re not paired off with Longbottom. I actually feel bad for Macmillan. I can already smell the sweet scent of failure.” Theo chortled as he sat on a leather armchair facing the dark-skinned wizard.

“Well, I’m not. Even though Longbottom is worse than Weasley, the git’s presence annoys me that I would rather have Neville blubbering-mess Longbottom over Potter’s side chick!” Blaise screamed out in frustration, startling a couple of fifth years who were studying by the tables. The trio of girls glared at the boy but, was pacified when Theo sent them a sweet smile and a wave.

“It’s not evening yet and the both of you are acting such complete assholes.” Draco remarked, claiming an entire chaise for himself as he stretched his long body on the cushions.

“Like you’re one to talk. What was that about earlier? You almost gave Snape a heart attack.” Theo countered, giving his friend a quizzical gaze. The Platinum-Blonde grinned cryptically, raising the curiosity of his two mates.

“Okay, you’re scaring me smiling like that. What’re you planning, mate?” The dark-skinned wizard questioned, his brows raised in an elegant arch.

               The pale wizard sat up, his grin widening and the two other wizards glance at each other, similar thoughts running inside their heads before turning their attention back to the Grey-eyed wizard.

“I’m going to make Granger fall in love with me.” He declared, boldly.

               The Common Room fell into an even deeper silence, the trio of girls openly gawking at Draco, their eyes wide in disbelief. It was unusual for Slytherins to express their feelings as they were taught to be indifferent and cold to others but, at this moment, even the coldest Slytherin will share the same expression as the fifth year girls because of the unexpected and surprising statement of Draco Malfoy. Even his best mates, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, two boys who are usually apathetic occupied or not, are staring at the pale wizard as if he grew three more heads. After a beat of stillness, the two other wizards howled in laughter, clutching their sides as a great stitch formed in their bellies.

“Man, that’s got be the best joke you’ve said so far, mate.” Blaise expressed as he gasped for air.

“Yeah, you actually got me believing you for a second.” Theo chimed, shaking his head at his Platinum-Blonde friend.

“What makes you think I’m kidding?” Draco asked, tilting his head to the side. The action would have been adorable if not for the gleam in his Grey eyes. Laughter ceased and jaws dropped open at the sound of sincerity in his voice.

“You’re…serious?” Blaise choked.

“Zabini, when have I been not?” He quizzed, a sneer bubbling over his face.

“But…Draco…In case you’ve forgotten, it’s _Granger_. She’s like…” Blaise trailed off, thinking of a better word to describe the witch.

“Unreachable? Prohibited? Ridiculously dangerous with or with _out_ a wand?” Theo supplied with a wave of hand. The dirty-Blonde wizard saw Draco’s brow twitch at his last comment and he stifled a chuckle with a cough.

“Yes, I’m well-aware of those, Nott, thank you very much,” The young Malfoy heir shot Theo with a dirty look, “but, I’m sure that it’s what attracts all the boys to her.” He stated with a tone of finality.

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?” Blaise interrogated, pointing a well-manicured finger at his pale friend.

“What in Merlin’s flying pants are you on about?” The Blonde probed, exasperation dripping in his voice.

“No offence to you but, you had made your stance regarding her…uhh…status pretty clear during our early years here. To hear you speak about her so…positively makes us think that you’ve completely lost your marbles or you’ve been switched with someone else…Wait. Maybe you are someone else. With Polyjuice, it’s possible. So, who are you? Potter? It can’t be Weasley. He’s too dumb to bre-”

“While hearing your theories are riveting, I must disappoint your delusions and tell you that I am not someone else so, quit playing detective.” Draco piped in, interrupting Theo’s tirade.

“We’ll quit if you explain what brought this…absurd idea out in the open.” The dirty-Blonde compromised, eyes expectant.

“You would have known it by now if you two bastards let me explain in the beginning.” He countered with a roll of his eyes.

“Are you actually blaming us for reacting the way we did? I mean, its Hermione _fucking_ Granger we’re talking about. No boy has ever won her over. What makes you think she’ll fall for you? I hope you haven’t forgotten how rotten you have been to her and her idiot friends.” Blaise voiced out.

“There’s a fine line between love and hate.” Draco simply said, shrugging his shoulders with elegant insouciance.

“I’m afraid that after years of animosity between you and her, she’ll be unwilling to cross that bridge.” Theo intoned, raking his fingers through his hair.

“She may hate me with passion but, she’s still a girl. Females aren’t exactly immune to male attention.” The pale Slytherin grinned, a slow, scheming smirk that translates nothing good.

“Granger is a female different from all of the girls here. Simple tricks won’t work with her. She’s too smart. You’ll be figured out in no time.” The dark-skinned wizard commented.

“You want to bet on that?” Draco dared.

“Bet on what? How long it will take her to fall for you?” Blaise questioned.

“Psh. You should bet on how long it will take her to punch him again in the face for even going near or breathing the same air as her.” Theo exclaimed, grinning like a maniac at the scowl that marred Draco’s face. The dark-skinned wizard bumped his fists with the dirty-Blonde.

“Go and make fun of me, fuckers. When she’s putty in my hands, I’ll make sure to rub it in your faces.” He announced, readying to stand.

“How about we make it more interesting?” Blaise proposed, a sly smile gracing his handsome features. Draco paused.

“This is why I like you, Zabini. Always spontaneous.” The Blonde exclaimed with an equally knowing smile of his own.

“Sorry to interrupt your love confession but, can we please get on with it? I am against the idea but, maybe by some weird force or in this case Zabini, I might actually be interested. That is if he can be very persuasive.” The dirty-Blonde said, throwing a challenging glance at the dark-skinned wizard.

“I _am_ persuasive!” Blaise scoffed, offended.

“Shut up, Zabini. The only time you’re persuasive is when you’re asking girls to sleep with you. Most of the time, you’re just loud and obnoxious.” Theo retorted.

“I seem to recall that this ‘ _loud and obnoxious_ ’ wizard is the number two hottest guy in the entire school. What number are you again? Oh, that’s right. _Three_. A number _lower_ than mine.” The dark-skinned wizard mock, a pompous smile painted on his lips.

“You do know that the girls who went to you are basically Draco’s scraps and unwanted admirers?” The dirty-Blonde reminded, a satisfied smirk crossing on his expression as Blaise’s haughty grin vanished from his gorgeous face. The dark-skinned wizard glowered at Theo.

“Since you’re so sure that girls only want me because Draco’s bored of them, how about we bet about Granger? The first one who makes her fall in love wins.” He suggested.

               The three friends eyed each other, anticipating whether one of them will back out but, after a minute of silence, no one stepped forward. They smirked.

“What do you know? You _can_ be persuasive, Zabini.” Theo noted, breaking the silence as he threw an amused gaze at the other wizard.

“What can I say? I try.” Blaise responded, brushing his shoulders in pride.

“Now that we’ve cleared that you are, indeed, persuasive, how about we talk about how long this little game of ours will take?” Draco asked, yawning softly.

“Graduation Day?” The dirty-Blonde put forward. The two other wizards snorted.

“Do you think it will take _that_ long?” The Blonde probed, frowning.

“Uh, reminder, mate. It’s _Granger_ , okay? How many times do I have to tell you th-” Theo was cut off when Draco sighed.

“- she’s different, I know but, it doesn’t need to take that long. I’ll say early next year…maybe February.”

“February? Damn! That’s still long! How about December?” Blaise probed, his Golden-Brown eyes bright with excitement. Theo threw a pillow at him.

“Wha-What was that for?” The dark-skinned wizard sputtered.

“Have you been listening? I said tha-” The dirty-Blonde was cut off again, this time by Blaise.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you. No need to repeat it. My only concern is that February is so far away from now. I mean, come on! It’s only September. How do you expect me to last until next year?” The dark-skinned wizard whined.

“Nobody’s forcing you to stop cavorting with other girls. This is just a game. There’s no reason for us to get serious. We just want to see who the best among the three of us is.” The Platinum-Blonde wizard replied, Grey eyes flashing.

“If you put it that way, I can’t disagree.” Theo hummed in response, a nod of his head indicating that he agrees.

“Merlin, fine. February but, if it drags on until Graduation, I’m out.” Blaise exclaimed with a tone of irrevocability.

“You really don’t have patience, do you? They say that all good things come to those who wait.” Draco tut-tutted, shaking his head in hilarity at his friend’s honesty.

“While I agree with that, I can’t deny the ladies and myself some pleasure.” The other wizard defended himself, pouting.

“You should at least shower them with love, even if it’s fake.” Theo chastised, clicking his tongue at the roof of his mouth.

“I will do that if it’s with the right girl.”

“Woah, I didn’t know that there is such a one for you.”

“And is Granger the right girl for all of us?” Draco grilled, gaining the attention of his two bickering friends. The other wizards chuckled.

“She’ll never be the right one for us. The reason why we’re doing this is because it’s fun. You said it yourself. This is just a _game_.” Blaise answered.

“Besides, you know that we’ll never fall in love with her for real. You know what our parents will do if that happened.” The dirty-Blonde continued, his Blue eyes sweeping to look at his friends’ faces. They all bore similar expressions, understanding the gravity of their game but, it couldn’t hide the thrill it brought to their veins as all of them can feel their magic singing from the mere thought of sneaking around with the one girl everyone vies for and every pure-blooded parent deemed forbidden.

“So, we play this bet until February. No one can know of this. One among us will have her as prize and there is only one rule: do _not_ fall in love with her.” Draco summarized. At the end of his statement, the three of them glanced at the trio of girls listening in on their conversation. The girls bowed their heads lower and returned to their books. No one in Slytherin would defy them as every soul in their House knows the tragedy of anyone who betrays the three most influential wizards in school. With that issue solved, the three boys returned to the subject of their game.

“We deal with Granger separately. Do your own thing but, make sure she doesn’t get suspicious.” The Blonde cautioned.

“You’re lucky that you have her as your Potions partner.” Blaise sulked, crossing his arms against his chest.

“Luck is also a talent. I might get a step ahead of you at this rate.” Draco bragged, a wicked smirk splayed on his lips.

“Don’t jinx it, mate. We haven’t begun yet. You never know.” Theo advised.

“I didn’t know that you believe in that. You’re such an old lady.” The Blonde teased, earning himself a glare from the dirty-Blonde.

“Quit being an asshole, Draco. If I become closer to her faster than you, I’ll be the one calling you old lady.” Theo stated, narrowing his eyes on him.

“Then, I say we shake it.”

               The Three Princes shook their hands, a symbol of their agreement and honour, of friendship and rivalry, and of sportsmanship and respect. The game has begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii! Happy April everybody! I finally settled down here in L.A. and guess what?! I'm going to Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter World! I"m sooo excited I can feel my butt vibrating...okay, no need for you guys to know that but, ahhh! I can't contain my excitement! I'm going to see to see the Diagon Alley and experience Hogsmeade! Oh my gosh, I'm going to be able to drink Butterbeer! I'll tell you guys about it when it happens! I'm going tomorrow so, you better stay tuned for my Harry Potter experience and my story! Don't forget to review, favorite, and follow me! I love you, my loves~ Stay awesome!
> 
> Love, love, love,
> 
> cappucakku


	3. Induction to Seduction

               Hermione Granger knew everything. She was, after all, the Brightest Witch of The Age, a title she was rather fond and proud of. She has been living up to the moniker since she was eleven but, yesterday was the first time she didn’t know what to _think_ or what to _do_. She’s been thinking all day long about that little episode at the Potions classroom with a certain Slytherin. She wasn’t even supposed to let her mind linger at the surprising action and his equally startling soft lips, the image of his burning, smouldering eyes gazing at her leaving her speechless and breathless at the same time but, here she was, a day after, still thinking about his strange but, highly rousing attention.

               She knew, in that moment, why all the girls in Hogwarts were drooling about him, giggling hysterically as they chatted how sexy he is inside the girls’ lavatory. She was aware of his reputation as the hottest guy in school, followed by his two best mates, Zabini and Nott but, she isn’t the type of girl who is easily swayed by appearance alone. She had to admit that the trio were, indeed, handsome but, she will never fall for their charms when they were trashy and despicable towards her and her fellow Gryffindors. People call her prudish because she seems to be disinterested with anything related to boys but, they were mistaken. She knew everything there is to know about boys, courtesy of unfiltered gossips and stories by Ginny, and she isn’t exactly lacking in experience either considering she dated a fair few in the Muggle world but, nothing stayed permanent as all of the boys she went out with were below her expectations.

               Dear, sweet Ginny told her to not have expectations because it will only result in disappointment and of course, the flame-haired witch was right but, she couldn’t help it. She longed for a Prince, funny, charming, and smart, just like that in her novels, who would make her feel alive and gasping for air. Of course, that was a far-fetched dream as reality is not as rose-coloured as books but, a girl can hope, after all, she’s already living inside a fairy tale world. It is not surprising that maybe, the man she was looking for, her Prince, is somewhere in Diagon Alley or someone she ignorantly passed by. She didn’t consider for one minute the boys in Hogwarts because she has seen them all and they were such _boys_.

               No, she wasn’t looking for boys. What she was looking for was a _man_. It’s a bit sad that no one in Hogwarts passed her standards although, in terms of physique and looks, Malfoy and his two mates or as they liked to be called, the Three Princes, seemed to take the cake. If they were a tad bit nicer, she might have been attracted. The thought made her cringe in disgust, reprimanding herself for even possessing such weird thoughts. She blamed it on the incident yesterday, the mystery still clouding her usual rational and logical mind.

She made herself believe that the only reason why she was even mulling over about it was because it was the only thing that anyone can talk about. Girls belonging to different Houses approached her just to ask whether she was secretly dating Malfoy while the boys were looking at her with melancholic eyes as if she had lost her Mother or something. The attention was overwhelming. Even though she was friends with Harry Potter, she still wasn’t used to the attention. Her situation was a mile different than the usual that it made her want to crawl back inside the Head dorm. At least inside, she had peace and quiet but, she knew since the beginning that at Hogwarts, there is no such thing as peace and quiet.

               She couldn’t escape Ron and Harry since they knew where she went twenty-four seven thanks to the blasted Marauder’s Map Fred and George bequeathed the bespectacled wizard during their third year. The two easily found her after she hexed Ron and walked away from them, leaving her best friends to solve the problem. After spending the whole day in classes and doing her Head Girl duties, the pair found her at the Gryffindor Common Room, posting an announcement. Ron, who just finished his first day at detention with Snape, proceeded to shout at her the moment he saw her, screaming out obscenities and insults that would have hurt her thousand times if she heard it last year or even two years ago but, it didn’t.

               Once upon a time, she may have cared for every word he said but, as time passed and she grew up, Hermione began to see things differently. She realized that her relationship with Ron would always remain platonic as the wizard was too busy indulging with his insecurities and jealous streaks. He would fight with her over the littlest of things and was too proud to even apologise even if it was his fault. He was too dependent on her when it came to homework, even begging her to do his assignment and succumbing to his wishes. After getting what he wanted from her, he would yet again pretend as if she doesn’t exist. She was tired of the constant cycle of being used and ignored all year that one day, she decided to just stop.

               It wasn’t a difficult thing to do as she began to see him in an entirely whole new light ever since his blunder during the Yule Ball. She didn’t know why she clung to her feelings for him that long despite his temper and personality. She confessed her feelings to both Harry and Ginny, who listened to her and offered their comfort, as she cried her eyes and heart out. They both provided her with their own advice but, it was the youngest Weasley’s words that struck her the most.

“ _If you have to force yourself, isn’t that an indication that you don’t truly love him?_ ”

               Ginny’s statement woke something inside Hermione and it made accepting her changed feelings easier. It also made facing Ron much more natural. She had been walking on eggshells since she realized she had romantic feelings for her friend, afraid that any misstep might reveal her interest in him, ultimately ruining their hard-built relationship. Unbound by her unrequited feelings for the ginger-haired wizard, she became more open with her emotions and she had taken to observing boys, much to the delight of Ginny and the frustration of Harry. The-Boy-Who-Lived didn’t stand a chance with the two girls as one female is his secret crush and the other is his best friend – his almost sister – who was stuck in a one-sided love for five whole years and deserved the chance to be happy, even if that happiness comes with listening to both women talk about boys.

               Even though the male population at Hogwarts didn’t concern Hermione as much as they did with Ginny, she wanted another sort of distraction aside from reading and books. She would have agreed to Harry’s offer of flying if she weren’t terrified of heights or Luna’s suggestion that they search for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack in the Forbidden Forest if only she didn’t believe that the obviously made-up creature wasn’t real. There weren’t plenty of diversions at the castle (in her opinion) and she latched on the first safe _and_ sane idea she heard. Now, sitting at the Gryffindor table, eating breakfast with Harry and Ginny, she listened to the other girl prattle on about which boy she should set her eyes on.

“…-nd he’s just bloody mental! I’m his ex-girlfriend, for Merlin’s sake! Now, he’s asking me to- Are you listening, Hermione?” The sharp voice of the flame-haired witch startled her out of her reverie and she snapped her eyes towards the younger Gryffindor, looking at her with narrowed eyes. The brunette smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry, I was a mile away.” She apologized.

“Clearly. What are you even thinking about that was so interesting; you didn’t even hear anything I was saying?” Ginny asked, raising a quizzical brow at her.

“I was thinking if agreeing to your plan is actually the right thing.” Hermione replied.

“Of course, it is! I won’t allow you to back out of this, Mia.” The youngest Weasley exclaimed in a loud voice, catching the attention of the students eating at their respective tables.

“Will you pipe down? It’s early in the morning! I don’t want to be in the middle of attention!” The brunette hiss-whispered.

“If you don’t want to be in the middle of attention, you shouldn’t have been friends with Harry. He basically attracts attention.” Ginny stated, pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice. At her statement, the bespectacled boy paused, his fork stilling halfway to his mouth and stared at the girls.

“It’s not like I want it, Gin.” Harry confessed. The brunette smiled knowingly at the way her friend said the other girl’s name.

“Tha-That’s not what I meant.” The flame-haired witch lamely said, ducking her head to hide her flushed cheeks. Hermione’s smile turned into a full-blow smirk as she watched the pair’s interaction. It was plain as day that the two fancy each other. She had no idea why they both insisted that it wasn’t true but, because of that denial, it made teasing them much more fun as it left the two of them in a sputtering and stuttering mess.

“Then, what exactly do you mean, Ginevra? I’m pretty sure that Harry will love some explanation.” Hermione urged, a saccharine grin on her lips. Ginny, being the smart witch that she is, caught on what the older girl was doing and glared at her.

               The younger girl was about to issue a retort but, her attention was drawn by the sudden increase of noise and whispers around the Great Hall. She looked around to see the cause of the commotion and her jaw almost dropped when she saw them. Walking towards the Gryffindor table was Ron and Lavender, acting all cosy and cuddly. She saw her brother shoot Hermione a smug gaze and Ginny had the sudden urge to punch his face.

“Since when are they dating?” The brunette whispered harshly, her chocolate-Brown eyes shooting daggers at the approaching pair.

“Uh, last night…” Harry awkwardly claimed, eyes shifting to look everywhere but her. Hermione turned her head towards him sharply, her face growing from flabbergasted to irritated.

“Last night? We were just fighting yesterday and I clearly remember him confessing that he likes me! Now, he’s dating… _that_?” She exclaimed, her voice rising into a shout, making the entire population stop their individual conversations to stare at her.

“Hermione-”

“You know what? I’m not even going to ask what happened in the span of _twelve_ hours. I’ll be going ahead. Harry, I’ll see you later at Charms. Ginny, don’t forget about later or I won’t be able to help you with Transfiguration.” The Head Girl announced as she gathered up her things and stood up, not waiting for her friends’ reply and ignored the chatter and eyes that regarded her. She was half-way to the door when Ron’s voice rang out of the Hall.

“So, you’re leaving then, eh?” The ginger-haired wizard asked, smirking at her direction. Hermione whirled back to him, her face blank but, her twin pools of chocolate orbs were blazing with hate.

“What I do is none of your concern, _Ronald_.” She spat, opting to use his full name just to annoy him. She saw his brow twitch, knowing full well that she managed to tick him off.

“You’re being impossible, Hermione. If you just apologize to me, everything will be back to normal.” He expressed. Something inside her snapped and within seconds, she was inches from Ron, her fingers wrapped around his tie as she tugged on the fabric violently.

“Wha-” The boy choked but, the brunette didn’t allow him to finish his surely pathetic tirade.

“Tell me, Ron, why should _I_ apologize to _you_ because, as far as I’m concerned, _I_ wasn’t the one who threw the first punch at Zabini at Potions yesterday,” At the corner of her eye, she saw the boy in question glare at the ginger-haired wizard’s head rather murderously, “ _I_ wasn’t the one who was begging for yet another fight with the Slytherins. _I_ wasn’t the one who spouted insults and derogatory remarks to my _best friend_ ,” Even at her distance, she heard Harry growl, primitively, “ _I_ wasn’t the one flaunting with a girl, who has more boys than vocabulary in her head and spreads her legs faster than Harry can catch the snitch, might I add,” Lavender scowled but, she ignored her as she ploughed on, “when _someone_ clearly told me that he _likes_ me.”

              The entire student body gasped at the admission and twittering voices began to fill the Hall as their schoolmates began to gossip about the latest news. Hermione pushed him away, making him stumble on his feet and land ungracefully on his bum, laughter erupting from their audience, transforming Ron’s pale face to a tomato in the span of seconds. Lavender looked at her, outraged but, she shot the girl a vicious glare that the other girl whimpered in cowardice. The other Gryffindor witch helped her boyfriend up, fuelling the students to chatter more. None of the babble was pleasing to hear and as people continue, Ron’s face was an ugly shade of purple.

“This is for revenge, isn’t it? You’re just jealous that I’m with Lavender and you’re alone. I mean, who in their right mind would want to be with you?” The wizard spat, pointing a finger at her, visibly shaking due to his simmering anger. Hermione scoffed, ignoring the ache blooming in her chest upon hearing her friend’s spiteful words.

“In what delusional world did you get that idea? Never, I mean, _never_ in any lifetime, any universe will I ever be jealous of Lavender. Get it through your thick head that you aren’t as high and mighty as you think you are. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going. Have a lovely time with your girlfriend.” She countered with a grin worthy of Slytherin. She saw the boy stammer out a reply but, she already lost interest in whatever drivel will come out of his mouth. She turned to leave, thinking of a destination to waste her remaining time.

               Once out of the Great Hall, she broke into a run, her chest heaving, her eyes burning as fat tears dribbled down her cheeks. As much as she pretended to be strong, she was actually feeling hurt. She might have moved-on from her feelings for the ginger-haired, Blue-eyed wizard, he was still her best friend. They went through ups and downs together and their relationship will be ruined because of his ego and bad temper. She was half-tempted to turn back and apologize, pride be damned but, she was tired of always prioritizing him before herself and weary of being the one to put an effort just to mend their friendship.

               For six years, she’s put up with all of his drama and it’s high time that he realize that she or anyone else doesn’t owe him anything other than what he deserves. Her decision may cost her friendship with him but, if he would turn to be a better man because of it, she would do it all over again in a heartbeat, even if it pained her more than she anticipated. She didn’t want anyone to see her crying after that episode in the Great Hall but, it seems that her luck has run out. She bumped into someone, a boy, no doubt, given by his rock-hard chest and bigger build, when she rounded a corner. The impact left her winded, feet tangling together, weight betraying her as she fell down.

               The hard ground never hit her, realizing that rugged arms were curled around her waist and a rather masculine scent wafted to her nose, strong notes of the sweet and woody scent of pineapple, birch, and musk assaulting her senses with its alluring smell. She almost sighed if not for the awfully familiar drawl by her ear, breaking the spell and sending chills running down her spine.

“One foot after the other, Granger. Walking is a simple concept that even you are acquainted with.” He said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Pushing herself away from the wizard, she scrambled to tidy herself before settling to glare at him.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Malfoy. I know how to walk. I wouldn’t have stumbled if you weren’t blocking the way with your freakishly lanky body.” She responded, cattily.

               In times past, she may have meant what she said but, right now, being close to him, she knew that she was _so_ lying. He had a lean and muscular physique, thanks to years of Quidditch and scrimmage matches, porcelain skin as light as the moon’s glow, stunning Silver eyes – glittering as if plucked stars, hand-swept fair hair that glistened in the candle light and a deep, suave voice, most people vie for. He has an effortless grace and elegance, a by-product of being born from a family of high pedigree but, he has a certain flair that makes people unable to keep away from him. It was that very thing that made him dangerous to her. She knew of his power to pull people to his pace from the moment she saw him and it both upset and frightened her at the same time as she felt small in his eyes but, at this moment, she didn’t feel the same way she felt ages ago which was mind-boggling and disturbing to say in the least.

“Now, now, that isn’t the way to thank your saviour.” The Slytherin clicked his tongue and shook his head in mock disappointment. Hermione narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“You’re hardly saviour material. You were blocking my way, in case it escaped your tiny brain, you fucking malformed ferret.” She questioned, scathingly, clearly not in a mood to play with the wizard.

“Oh my, _the_ Hermione Granger is swearing. What has the world turned into?” He chuckled, the sound low and decadent, like chocolate. She resisted the urge to shiver.

“I don’t have time to deal with the likes of you.” She hissed, taking a step to the side in order to get away from his agitating presence but, the boy seemed to have predicted her movement as he blocked her way. She glowered.

“Get away, Malfoy, or I’ll punch you again before I hex your brains out.” She threatened. If the Blonde wizard was in the slightest bit terrified, he didn’t show it.

“If you want to be aggressive,” He stepped closer to her, forcing her to step back, his eyes flashing with an emotion she didn’t recognize, “I can cope. In fact, I like women who are…wild.” He was well within her personal space and his eyes raking her entire length with a hooded gaze, flushing as she felt as if he was undressing her. It was getting harder to breathe by the second as his blasted scent was permeating in the air and invading her senses. She doesn’t even know why she’s reacting this way to him but, she would contemplate on that later as she wanted nothing more than to run away from him because it was getting _really_ hot _really_ fast.

“Do you always talk to girls like this?” Hermione quizzed, internally scolding herself for such a stupid question. She has a million witty remarks at the forefront of her brain but, her treacherous lips opened before she could even rationalize her best retort. She reasoned with herself that it was the only thing that she could manage when she was in a frightfully disturbing situation. It didn't manage to convince her in the slightest and judging by the slow smirk flitting to the Blonde's lips, he was beyond buoyant because of her uncharacteristic question.

“Not always. Just to a…fair few, the really special ones.” Malfoy answered, chuckling as he did, his steamy Grey eyes gazing at her, making her unable to look away.

“Draco Malfoy has special ones? What an absurd concept.” She ridiculed, her back colliding with the stone wall. She noticed a change in his expression and Hermione was instantly alarmed. She turned to her right to escape but, his lithe arm shot up. She did the same to her left and again, his other arm came into view. With her trapped between his arms, he loomed above her, his face inches from hers and his body flush against her. She felt her cheeks heat up and her pulse race at the thought of their…position. Any person with eyes would conclude the ridiculous and she didn’t want to be the subject of any less than savoury gossip. 

               Placing both hands on his shoulders, she pushed him away. It proved to be much harder than she thought it would be as he is bigger and his centre of gravity was in his torso, giving a right sense of balance. She gave up on the idea of pushing him aside as another plan formed in her head. As if reading her mind, Malfoy grabbed her by the waist and pushed her even further against the wall. She struggled futilely against him and she let out a frustrated groan before glowering at the Blonde wizard.

“I swear, I’m going to murder you this instant, ferret, if you don’t let go of me right now.” She growled.

“Does that mean that I can hold you like this any time aside from now?” He probed cheekily, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Hermione snarled.

“Just what is the matter with you? This is something you wouldn’t even be caught dead doing! What sort of potion did you huff up for you to be this…distasteful?”

“I don't need a sodding potion to be this distasteful to you but, you on the other hand, what have you been doing, being this delectable and appetizing for the taking?” He purred, smoothly, his lips grazing the shell of her ear and she felt the hairs at the back of her neck rise at the quality of his voice.

“What game are you playing at?” She managed to squeak.

“Don’t you want to know?” He questioned, his breath fanning all over her face and she bit her lower lip to stop a sigh from materializing just because his breath is as sweet as his scent.

“ _Stop it! Control yourself, for Merlin’s sake! You’re not some thirsty fifteen-year old girl!_ ” Her inner nun scolded.

“No, I don’t want to know. Your fan club may find anything you say interesting but, I don’t. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to class.” Hermione replied, gaining her sensibility and glared at the smirking prat before her.

“Right now, you don’t but,” He leaned closer, his lips barely touching hers that she could practically taste him. Her heart hammered in her chest, afraid that someone might catch them, afraid that he might close the gap separating them, and mostly, afraid that she might do something she’ll regret, “if I tell you, I’m sure that you’ll find it very much interesting.” He finished, his eyes exploring the expanse of her face before dropping low to stare at her lips.

               She was on the verge of hyperventilating when she saw his tongue dart out of his mouth to lick his lips oh-so-enticingly-and-slowly. She had to emotionally and physically stop herself (again!) from biting her lip, in case he _thought_ that she wanted him to kiss her, that she was basically quivering whether from fear or anticipation (Merlin, please, _no_.), she don’t know. He dragged his eyes back to her and when his Silver pools landed, her breath hitched at how beautiful his eyes were. His pale lashes hooded his twin peepers, creating a veil of shadow to his bright eyes. Blue and Green flecks swam within the depthless veneer of his sterling orbs, twinkling like stars. It felt like she was gazing at galaxies far away or constellations in a star-lit midnight sky.

               She would have marvelled at the splendour of his usually Steel-cold eyes but then, the bell suddenly rang, indicating the start of morning classes. She visibly jumped at the sound and harshly pushed Malfoy away, erasing any incriminating evidence that she and him were…doing things, not that they were doing _any_ thing. She gathered her fallen things, not even realizing that they had been missing all throughout the ordeal. She blushed straightway, remembering the smell of his cologne, the scent of his breath, and the feel of his muscular body…

“ _Hermione, no! Stop. It. Don’t think about Malfoy! Remember, he’s your enemy! The one who made your childhood a living hell!_ ” Her inner nun chided.

               Finished gathering her things, Hermione stood abruptly, eager to escape Malfoy’s unsettling company, when her ink bottle slipped from the pocket of her satchel and crashed into the floor, shattering into pieces and spilling dark ink. She groaned in frustration before searching for her wand inside her bag.

“ _Reparo_.”

               Her hands stilled as she heard Malfoy mutter the spell, her head whipping to his direction to see him bending down to pick up the once broken pot. Straightening up, he held out the fixed tub, seamless and pristine as it was before and after staring at his hand for a few seconds, gingerly took the bottle from his hand. She tucked it inside the main body, together with her other materials. Once she has closed her satchel, she awkwardly looked at the Blonde Slytherin.

“Thank you, I guess.” She stated, the words rolling off her tongue weirdly considering that Malfoy was the recipient of the expression. The Blonde stared long enough to make her fidget and she realized that he might not have appreciated her gratitude nor did he even genuinely want to help her in the first place. In a huff, she twirled on her heel and left for her first class of the day, History of Magic, with a mind full of confusion and bewilderment and disappointment as she let herself be caught by none other than Draco Malfoy.

                She was almost at the corner when she felt eyes on her back and she pushed her feet to move forward, refusing to glance behind her shoulders. As she was rounding the corner, she heard it.

“You’re welcome… _Hermione_.”


	4. Misery Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiii! I'm back! *ducks under the table
> 
> I'm sorry for the radio silence, guys. I was busy looking for a job and now, I am going to more busy because *drumroll please!* I have a job! Woohooo! I'm a working girl so, I have a lot of responsibilities. Thank you for your patience in waiting for me to update this story. I promise you guys that this will not be abandoned, ever. I just need to work around my schedule so that I can write this fanfic. Anyway, I will not bore you with my life story and allow you to read this. I hope you enjoy! Do let me know what you like, what you don't like, what can be improved, and whatever you wish to say! I appreciate all kinds of reviews and responses from you guys because you rock!
> 
> Love, love, love,
> 
> cappucakku

* * *

“ _You’re welcome_ … _Hermione_.”

“…anger.”

“… _welcome_ … _Hermione_.”

“Mi…Gran…”

“… _Hermione_.”

“Miss…nger!”

“ _Hermione_.”

“Miss Granger!”

               The brunette witch in question sprung ram-rod straight in her seat, chocolate-Brown eyes wide in shock at being caught uncharacteristically inattentive. Her initial reaction turned apologetic and shamefaced as Professor Vector looked at her in a mixture of bemusement and disappointment. Around her, she could hear the lull of whispers and giggles of her classmates but, she paid them no mind as she was growing rather apprehensive knowing that she might have earned Gryffindor’s first point deduction for the day.

“ _This is all because of that stupid, arrogant, egotistic, Blonde albino! He’s going to cost me my Head Girl badge because of what he did!_ ” She mentally seethed, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her face from screwing up into an inelegant scowl befitting that of a Goblin.

“Miss Granger, while it is still early in the year, I do hope that you know that every lesson that I teach in class has the potential to appear on your NEWT exam. If you do not wish to fail, do try to keep your head out of the clouds and pay attention. I expected more of you, being the Head Girl.” The Professor chided, clucking her tongue and shaking her head in sheer displeasure. Hermione ducked her head in mortification and as her classmates began to twitter, enjoying the rare show of dismay of the older witch towards her favourite student.

“Ten points from Gryffindor for the lack of attention.” The older witch announced, much to the brunette witch’s horror. In the wake of the Professor’s enunciation, the few Slytherins that were taking up Arithmancy were beyond giddy. They were always ecstatic when one of the so-called “ _Golden Trio_ ” was at the brunt of any professor’s anger but, they absolutely love it when it was her.

“ _Great job, Hermione. It hasn’t been a week and you’re already out of it. For the smartest witch of the age, you’re pretty stupid, letting that annoying git occupy your thoughts. He isn’t worth it. Got it? **He** isn’t worth stressing about, nope. He’s just going out of his way to provoke you and **you** shouldn’t fall for it._ ” She inwardly lectured, cringing slightly as the voice in her head sounded much like Molly Weasley during one of her infamous tirades. It seemed that hearing the Weasley Matriarch’s stern and tad overbearing voice worked wonders on her as thoughts of the morning’s event dissipated from her mind although it didn’t escape her notice that the debacle with her best – sorry, that’s ex-best friend with his…girlfriend has been pushed to the recesses of her mind as it had been filled with her very disturbing encounter with a certain Slytherin. She almost groaned as yet again, her head was skirting towards that train of thought.

               For the life of her, she didn’t even understand why she was even thinking about it. She had wanted to have some peace and quiet, even just for a few minutes but, she had the misfortune of bumping into him, of all people. At first, she was giving him attitude and sass but, the next thing she knew, she was pressed against the wall, his deliciously, sinful body – wait, did _she_ just say that?! Dear, sweet Merlin, she was going mental! She resisted the urge to hit her head on her table, repeatedly, for the traitorous notion swimming in her head. Sure, she knew that he was the most desirable boy to the eyes of many of the female population and homosexuals at school but, it never crossed her mind that she would think so, too.

               Was she just like the rest of the girls here? Allowing some pretty boy (she begrudgingly admitted) to distract her? No, she decided. She will not allow someone, especially _Draco Malfoy_ , to taint her perfect school record and seamless cognitive functions. He’d already cost her more than she wanted, not that he knew nor would she _ever_ want him to know, certain that if he had gotten hold of that particular information, he would do everything in his power to tease her and smirk at her with his notorious shit-eating grin. No, Hermione Granger would rather cut off her arm than to permit him to plague her thoughts. It’s bad for her mental state.

“…next week. You’re all dismissed.” Professor Vector concluded, the bell ringing as soon as the last syllable fell out of her lips.

               Once again, she was jolted out of her musings as the cacophony of her classmates’ chatter, the rustling of parchment and books. She stared, bewildered, as the bustling of life surrounded her, the brilliance of her mind catching up as she realized that she drifted off and missed the remainder of the lecture. Hiding her panic, she gathered her things, noticing that she barely written down any notes except for a few key points at the beginning of the lesson. Quickly, she stuffed her things inside her ever-enduring satchel and hefted it on her shoulder, scampering out of the classroom in hopes for her lingering thoughts to leave her and remain inside the recently vacated chamber. It helped a little as the noise levels were at an all-time high and students were rushing towards their next class.

               Being squished, squashed, jostled, and almost stamped on was nothing new to her and while it should have annoyed her like it always do, she welcomed it. She wanted other thoughts to consume her mind and it was a rather effective remedy for her aberrant behaviour. She needed a clear head for her next class, which happens to be Charms. She didn’t want a repeat of her earlier blunder – she’s got a reputation to uphold although she was far too sure that her Slytherin classmates already disseminated the play-by-play of her episode in Arithmancy and sure enough, several people were throwing her amused looks and snickers as well as mild look of curiosity with hints of sympathy. The last bit profoundly unsettled her. She didn’t understand what that expression was for but, she immediately caught up when she heard two third years murmuring about yet another of her affair, this time at the Great Hall. She wasn’t astounded that the rumour mill was working twice as fast as Lavender spreads her legs open to any eligible wizard.

               She snorted at that. The girl spreads her overused vagina faster than anything for anyone with ball sacks and a functioning penis. She couldn’t, for the life of her, understand why in Merlin and Morgana’s name did Ron hook-up with her. She was hardly “ _girlfriend_ ” material and more along the lines of common slag and “ _frustration dumpster_ ”.

“ _Got the brains of one, too_.” She mentally considered, smirking viciously.

               Perhaps the reason why Ron chose Lavender was because they were intellectually compatible or probably genetically programmed to find each other. Both of them have the attention span of a teaspoon and the emotional range of a door knob. They can hardly talk about anything other than Quidditch, Wizarding celebrities, and useless garbage from Witch Weekly. It’s a miracle that they both passed their OWLs and sixth year NEWTs.  Well, it’s not really a miracle, per se and more of her patience, concern, and loyalty to her friends.

               Speaking of friends, now that Ron had bungled everything in their relationship, she no longer has the obligation to help him with his assignments and projects. There’s no need for her to stay up later than she normally do just to proofread his odiously written paragraphs and arguments, no need to lecture him for yet another misunderstood Charm or Transfiguration theory, and absolutely no need for her to hand him her much coveted notes for exams on any subject or elective. She can finally have more time to revise her essays, research theories, and maybe, take up an apprenticeship program with Professor McGonagall or Professor Vector. The most scrumptious deal of all is that she no longer has to deal with any mess Ron will do. Of course, she knows that any floundering on his part will evidently affect her House but, it all boils down to him and his lack of common sense.

               He is not her problem, not anymore. She’s more than happy to let Lavender take the mantle of caring for him. It will surely be a spectacle to watch the both of them screw up.

“What the hell are you grinning about? That expression on your face is fit for a manic, serial murderer.” A lilting female voice articulated from beside her and Hermione twisted to see Padma Patil walking beside her, eyebrows raised inquiringly. The brunette blinked in surprise at the appearance of the Ravenclaw, obviously waiting for her to answer her question.

“How long have you been beside me?” She asked.

“Since the moment you walked out of Arithmancy. You’re so out of it that you didn’t even notice me. Anyway, what was that about?” The Indian girl replied, slinking closer to her as she avoided a trio of second years making their way, mindlessly, to Merlin knows where.

“What are you talking about?” The Head Girl probed as she turned around the corner.

“Don’t play coy with me. You were hardly paying attention during class. Hell, ten points was taken off of Gryffindor because you’re mentally absent. Is this about the morning’s incident?” Padma queried, magnificently keeping up with the brunette’s pace. Hermione almost faltered, not because at the mention of her spat with two of her Housemates but, because of the event that followed it. She almost wanted to throttle the Ravenclaw witch for reminding her. She was becoming successful at filing away the distressing encounter, only to have it resurface at the forefront of her mind.

“No.” She ground out evenly and crisply, hoping beyond hope that the girl would drop it. She didn’t.

“You almost convinced me if it weren’t for your face.” The tan witch retorted, cheekily.

               She could feel her patience wearing thin. Nothing was going the way she wanted it. The day wasn’t even halfway from over and she was already feeling miserable. She has half the mind to keep her silence but, the other half of her wanted to scream all of her frustration and confusion to Padma. The girl is a good listener and a wise confidant. She and Ginny have this uncanny ability to say the right things at the right time although both of them can be tactless and nosy when their right buttons were pressed. Whenever their buttons were pushed, there’s no stopping them and this moment is an appropriate and prime example.

“There’s nothing wrong with my face.” She countered, hotly.

“There. Right there. That’s what’s wrong.” Padma pointed at the crease between her brows and she consciously touched the wrinkled skin.

“Fine lines and crinkly skin is hardly a problem.” The brunette remarked, snootily.

“Stop being obtuse! You’re obviously troubled by Ron dating Lavender!” The Indian whinged at her, blocking her way by throwing her body in front of the affronted Head Girl, hands raised to her side forming a T, inefficiently and ineffectively halting the brunette from her tracks.

“I’m not obtuse and I simply chose to ignore to acknowledge your faulty contestation.” Hermione said, coolly, rounding the other girl and resumed her trek towards the Charms classroom.

“Wha – Wait! So, it doesn’t bother you?” Her friend hollered after her, jogging swiftly in order to catch up to the curly-haired witch.

“Shouting is prohibited in the hallways and no, it doesn’t.” She responded primly, inwardly screaming for any higher being to strike the persistent Ravenclaw and leave her in peace.

“Then, what’s got you all distracted? It’s so unlike you and I bet you didn’t even know that we have an assignment due next Tuesday.” Padma informed, grabbing Hermione’s wrist, prompting the brunette to jerk to a stop. The Head Girl stopped and sighed.

“You really aren’t going to drop this, are you?” She grumbled.

“No. You know me better than that. Besides, we both know that if you don’t freaking tell me, Ginny would grill you and I think I can say it for the both of us that it won’t be pretty.” The girl pointed out, giving a knowing stare. She groaned.

“I should have known that she has something to do with this.” The curly-haired witch mumbled grouchily, massaging two fingers on her temple.

“Well, what do you expect? In case it escaped your brilliant mind, we happen to be your best girl friends and what do girl friends do best? Gossips, fashion, make-up tips, and most importantly, being extremely pushy when one friend is being extremely hard-headed. So, ‘fess up, Granger. Otherwise, Ginny and I will gang up on you and even I can say that you can’t handle the both of us when we really push it.” Padma professed, stance confident as she crossed her arms to her chest, eyebrows cocked upward, and dark eyes twinkling challengingly. The two girls stared at each other, well, she glared while her annoyingly persistent friend looked on at her as if they both have all the time in the world.

               She was tempted to just walk away and be on her merry way to her next class but, if she did that, she would have Padma trailing behind her the whole day, driving her mad by being steadfast and if she didn’t crack, she would eventually haul Ginny and they will both corner her until she spilled whatever was bugging her.

“Ugh, fine!” Hermione relented, throwing her hands in the air. Padma looked at her as if she won the lottery and the Head Girl wanted nothing more than to wipe the glorious smile on the other girl’s face.

“Tell me later. We’ll be late for Charms.” The Indian girl remarked, grinning impishly as she hauled Hermione by the wrist and made their way to their next class. All the way to the classroom, the brunette was glaring daggers at the back of Padma’s head for manhandling her which would have pressured anyone to look back at her, scratch the back of their necks in a repentant gesture, and sheepishly asks for her forgiveness but, Padma isn’t just anyone. The girl had gotten used to her hostile glares and grew immune to it.

               Normally, she would have put up a fight with anyone who attempted to drag her but, Padma has a strong grip for a seemingly delicate girl. She learned her lesson back in fourth year when she tried to escape the Ravenclaw from grilling her for any dirty gossip regarding Ron in an attempt to embarrass him for his dismal company and insensitivity towards her during the Yule Ball. Of course, she was highly tempted to spill the beans in revenge for his spiteful words to her that fateful night but, her loyalty won out and she refused to divulge any information. When Padma realized that she wouldn’t be talking anytime soon, the girl proceeded to ask her about Viktor Krum and at that particular topic, Hermione spilled more than she imagined. When their conversation turned rather spicy, she shied away immediately but, the other girl wasn’t having it.

               With a deathly grip on her and a hex at the tip of the Ravenclaw’s mouth, she confessed all of the clandestine meetings she shared with Viktor in dark corridors, broom closets, and the most sacrilegious of all, within the forgotten bookshelves at the library. By the time they finished their tête-à-tête, Hermione was reminiscent of a ripe tomato whilst Padma was fanning herself, donning a shit-eating smirk. To say that the Indian girl was surprised was an understatement. Never had she imagined that the resident Gryffindor Prude wasn’t as innocent and pure as everyone thought. The things she did with the scrumptious Bulgarian Seeker were something out of a racy, romantic novel that every girl wished for. Once Padma had gotten over her inner romanticist, Hermione was smiling lightly, feeling rather like a normal girl.

               From then on, it was be a usual occurrence to see both girls together and at times, one of them would interlope at the other’s table for a meal. Nobody bats an eyelid at their behaviour for it was a good show of camaraderie and inter-House Unity. At one point, Dumbledore even pointed out their friendship during his speech for the Welcoming Feast on her fifth year. With the professors championing inter-House relations, secret affairs and rapport sprung forth like fungi. The first three months of their fifth year was packed with astonishment from all of the revelations that the students hid from their fellow schoolmates.

               Her friendship with Padma wasn’t that resilient of a catalyst to cause such an effect but, it seemed to be the nudge that Hogwarts needed to mend the broken bonds among the four Houses. Still, there is tension lingering about but, it isn’t as palpable as compared before although, its slowly creeping back for the seventh years are all gearing up to finish their final year with a bout of victory. Add in N.E.W.Ts and it is a disaster waiting to happen.

“ _It’s already a disaster. Not even a week back and Gryffindor is already lurking at the bottom for the House Cup. Damn you to hell, Ronald. And let’s not forget Draco sodding Malfoy, the prat._ ” Hermione thought, bitterly.

“I can practically hear you sulking, Mia.” Padma commented, breaking the silence between them. The girl looked over her shoulder to stare at her and Hermione scowled.

“I’m sorry for brooding, Your Highness. I’ll try not to do it with you around.” She responded, scathingly, wrenching her wrist out of Padma’s grip and treaded on the hallway faster.

“Being a complete bitch isn’t going to get you out of our conversation later.” The Ravenclaw retorted, the sound of her quick footsteps loud against the nearly deserted corridor as she make to keep up with the swift Head Girl.

               The brunette didn’t reply, opting to stay silent in order to keep herself from exploding in a mixture of feelings. She couldn’t, for the life of her, understand why she was being this way. She rarely lost control of her feelings and when that occurred, she can quickly compose herself. It was one of her best qualities, being graceful even under stressful situations but, this is hardly a stressful situation. It shouldn’t even be a situation at all.

               Yet, here she is, being an utter git. The urge to bash her head to the wall was coming out stronger than before and the universe seemed to be helping her when she crashed into someone for the second time for the morning as she rounded up the last corner to reach the Charms classroom. With her things flying out, she toppled backwards, a scream bubbling over her throat as she fell in an increasingly alarming rate when sturdy arms wrapped around her waist and hoisted her upright. The shriek boiling on her gullet died and replaced by a relieved sigh as she survived the ordeal without pain. Breathing in deeply, her nose twitched as she identified the familiar, soft, seductive cologne of her unsuspecting victim and willing saviour.

               Tipping her head upward, her Whiskey-Brown eyes took in the strikingly, sharp jawline, plump lips, elfish cheekbones, aristocratic nose, and star-studded Silver eyes. Slowly and comically, her eyes widened in recognition and her heart stuttered when he pulled her close, their chests touching and Hermione can feel his muscles rippling underneath his clothes. She gulped.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this, Granger. One would think that you want to be as close to me as humanly possible.” He purred, his voice taking a rather sultry tone and she involuntarily shivered. She watched as a deliberate smile dawned on his lips and she found herself draw at the action, her eyes glued on the ostensibly silky flesh. They moved rather languidly and she was mesmerized at the dance his mouth was doing. Unconsciously, her hand slowly made its way towards the enchanting patch of skin, that is until she heard Padma’s voice in the background.

“Oh. My. Godric.” The tan girl exclaimed, her mouth hanging open as she caught sight of her in a rather intimate position with Draco Malfoy.

               As if waking up from a trance, Hermione snapped in attention, surprise flooding in her system at the sudden interruption before she realized, in horror, whose arms she was in and immediately scrambled away, hurriedly gathering her fallen things and made her way inside the Charms classroom without turning to look at any of the other corridor occupants. Sitting down her usual seat, Hermione dropped her bag unceremoniously on the ground beside her chair and promptly slammed her head onto her desk, startling Harry and Neville. They were talking but, she hardly heard them as the voice inside her head was savagely ripping her apart with snide remarks. Screwing her eyes shut even tighter, she barred the angry tirade out of her mind, the anxiety she was feeling for what surely would be a thorough interrogation from Padma and focused on decelerating her hammering heart. She would lecture herself later for allowing someone like him to distract her but, for now she wanted to curse the world for her predicament and quite, literally, hex Malfoy for even existing.


	5. The Lucky One

               She resisted the urge to squirm in her seat, the weight of a couple of stares behind her head setting her on edge as she did her best to listen to Flitwick’s lesson regarding non-verbal spells. Dutifully, she took detailed notes and made a mental list of books that she can cross-reference some of the professor’s key points but, half of her mind was flying out of the proverbial window and into the memory of her second run-in with the stinking Slytherin himself, Draco Malfoy. She didn’t know what the hell came over her to have the desire to touch his lips. She just found herself unable to look away and she involuntarily acted before she could even think. The worst bit of her predicament is that Padma saw.

               Predictably, the pretty, Indian girl has sent her a couple of surreptitious notes using a handy spell, all of which containing questions regarding the _real_ status (she rolled her eyes as she read this part) of her relationship with one Draco Malfoy and threats of hexing her hair to puff up into Crookshanks’ bottle-brush tail. She scowled at the low blow, the Ravenclaw knowing about her insecurities in terms of her hair but, she refused to take the bait. Besides, there was _absolutely_ nothing to spill. She just happens to collide into him…for the second time that day, doing positively nothing to keep him out of her mind. Never has she put much thought into Malfoy before and now, two accidents with him and she’s going insane.

               Needless to say, she needed a distraction. Regrettably, even the lesson wasn’t powerful enough to keep her grounded. She was agitated and if given a choice, she would bolt out of the classroom faster than the Weasley boys could go down from their respective rooms as soon as Molly shouted for them to take their places at the dinner table for a meal. Sadly, she couldn’t do that as she has a reputation to uphold and her friends would undoubtedly flock over her the moment she did. All of them have an unhealthy habit of sticking their noses where it doesn’t belong and when trouble arises, it will be up to her to keep them out of harm’s way.

               She could hardly believe she became friends with them because she and the rest of her housemates were, in the beginning, at odds against each because she was extremely irritating and demanding while they were rambunctious and reckless. No one was willing to speak to her and by the time her first Christmas as a witch rolled, she was a social pariah in Gryffindor and even to the rest of the school. She considered dropping out as no one appreciated her, only her professors and pitifully, the portraits that talked to her whenever she took a midnight stroll after an extremely trying and taxing day. She would spend the whole night psyching herself that the next day would be better but, she would always find herself alone the morning after. After her first year, she developed a sense of independence, knowing that no one will come to her aid even if she asked for it but, surprisingly, her expectation was betrayed the moment Harry, Ron, and the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team rallied around her as the Slytherins taunted her for being friendless.

               It was at that precise moment that she developed a deep-seated hatred for Malfoy and his dunderheaded underlings as they rebuked her and went as far as to calling her a “ _Mudblood_ ”. Sure, it was just a word but, it still caused her pain. After Voldemort’s demise at the expense of Harry’s parents and godfather, all of the Death Eaters were rounded up by the Aurors and sent to Azkaban. Peace was brought back to the Wizarding World but, prejudice remained which is notable to most Purebloods. While most of the blue bloods had the delicacy and tact to keep their opinions to their own circles, their children don’t.

               A fight broke out between Malfoy, his entourage, and the Gryffindor Quidditch team that it had taken the Headmaster himself to sort out the brawl. All of them were brought to Dumbledore’s office where they were one-by-one questioned with the supervision of their Head of House. Eventually, the party was dissolved and Malfoy and his posse were to serve two months detention while the entire Gryffindor team was given one month detention coupled with exclusion from Quidditch for the whole season. While the Gryffindors were sour about the ban, they weren’t placing the blame on her, reassuring her that she hasn’t completely burnt the bridge between her and her House. Although that may be the case, she still found herself liable for Gryffindor’s state of affairs and placed it upon herself to win the House Cup.

               For the entire year, Hermione worked tirelessly to achieve her goal and by the end of her last term, Gryffindor was in second place, ten points away from Slytherin, who dominated the remaining three Houses for the year. She was disappointed that she didn’t meet her aim that she cried herself raw and missed the Final Feast. A whole year of excellence didn’t matter if Gryffindor didn’t win the House Cup. Her House had been dreaming of winning the Cup for as long as she can remember but, because of her, they didn’t manage to do it again.

               She was sure that they would fault her for it thus, she was terrified of going back to her dormitory for her final night for that year. It was a little after curfew that she gathered the courage to go back, thinking that her housemates were retiring for bed after what surely was a fantastic feast but, the moment she stepped inside the portrait, streamers and confetti were strewn all over her, loud, raucous shouting bellowed accompanied by the blaring music on the background, and warm arms wrapped around her, glee and excitement emanating from the numerous limbs. She stood frozen on the spot, unable to comprehend what was going on, until the Weasley twins threw her in the air while the whole House was chanting her name. When the hype died down, she managed to choke out her question and to her surprise, it was Harry and Ron, boys who despised her guts, answered her. They explained how they knew about her little plan, how they saw her tire herself out, and how they, at times, hear her weep in the Common Room during wee hours of the morning.

               They confessed that they had followed her one night, after curfew, curious as to what she is up to and were stunned to see her lamenting her woes to several portraits. This particular tidbit made her blush as it was a testament of how unpopular she was but, according to Harry and Ron, it made them realize how much they were maltreating her. They went as far as comparing themselves with the Slytherins, particularly Malfoy and his cronies, much to the shock of everyone. Regardless, it was the catalyst that they all needed as they saw Hermione in a completely new light. From then on, every Gryffindor was pleasant to her and she, in turn, was more approachable.

               As time passed, her Housemates grew protective of her, especially her boys, Ginny, Neville, and the twins that they deemed themselves as her knights. No one dared to go near her, terrified of the consequences to be delivered by her friends. At first, it was endearing but, as she grew up, it became overbearing and a bit dramatic that she had to take drastic measures. Five nasty petrifying jinx and three months of silence later, they all learnt their lesson but, they still keep a close eye on her. Now that she’s Head Girl, they were even more watchful towards her. She felt as if every eye was on her wherever she went and it was beginning to drive her nuts.

                It helped that she has her private quarters that she shared with Anthony Goldstein, the appointed Head Boy but, she had a feeling that he, too, was keeping a close eye on her. A few days in at Hogwarts for her final year and she was already wishing for it to end. This was supposed to be her most memorable year – it being the year that she was made Head Girl, her dream ever since she was eleven but, nothing seems to be going right. Her first day was a catastrophe with her fall-out with Ron and _then_ , she just had to deal with Malfoy and his grating antics. It bothered and at the same time, sickened her that she’s going out of her mind thinking about him and his scent – _Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, she’s gone completely bonkers!_

“ _You’ve got to stop with this train of thought, Hermione. Don’t let Malfoy affect you the way inane girls does. He isn’t worth your brain cells regardless of how enchanting his eyes are, twinkling like starlight – Wait, what the hell?! You’ve absolutely gone mad, Hermione Granger! Mad!_ ” Her inner nun blustered, flustering her even more with how much a simple incident consumed her.

               Biting her lip to keep the groan that bubbled in her throat, she wished for the higher beings to strike her with lightning just to put her out of her suffering. What the hell is wrong with her, seriously? Malfoy is her enemy. He is Harry’s enemy and yet, she keeps on thinking about him and his remarkably strong chest, wide hands and – _See, she’s doing it again!_

               How can she have gone from hating him to being…intrigued about him after seven years? The boy hardly possesses a genial bone in his body, let alone respect for others. He revels in the misery of people and goes out of his way to torment them some more. It reminded her of the punch she delivered to him when he went spying with his friends to observe Buckbeak’s execution. His glee made her fury flare and in a matter of seconds, her mind clouded over and her body reacted before she could even blink.

               Clarity only came back to her when the Blonde Slytherin and his followers scurried back to the dungeon, Malfoy exclaiming his sentiments with blood gushing out of his broken nose. Her actions exhilarated and horrified her beyond what was normal. Only Malfoy could instigate such a reaction out of her. Even Harry, who was mortal enemies with the Blonde, never took their fights physically. She didn’t know what came over her that day and it scared her that it’ll happen again…and happen it did.

               At one point, she wanted to know what it felt like, to lose all control and let her body take total governance but, the first time she experienced it made her not want to do it again, no matter how exciting it feels. This time, the overwhelming feeling of her desire to touch him stunned her stupid. It didn’t make sense to her that she would find such a warm and fuzzy feeling towards him, of all people. Was he actually wonderful deep down if she could feel that way towards him? She decided that, no, he isn’t.

               Seven years of antagonism isn’t going to go away easily because of a couple of heart-stuttering encounters with Malfoy. She isn’t going to be led by her hormones. What happened between her and the bouncing ferret himself was an accident, period. It will never happen again. She just have to pretend that it didn’t happen and that he don’t exist… _Right, easier said than done_.

 The Slytherin happens to be her Potions partner. She couldn’t even begin to fathom how she will be able to stomach _two, torturous hours_ of _Double Potions_ with him without tearing her hair out of her scalp and hexing him to Hell. He would, undoubtedly, annoy her mercilessly with childish name-calling or heaven forbid, ruin their potion just to humiliate her. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she wearily re-focused on Flitwick’s squeaky voice, momentously alarmed that she missed half of what her professor had discussed because she was thinking about Malfoy. She really has to stop. He isn’t good for her health and study habits.

* * *

               He was terribly amused. For the second time that day, he had bumped into Granger. He seems be running with Liquid Luck for all of his extreme fortune and it isn’t even lunch time.

“ _At this point, I might win the bet_.” He mused in his head, a shit-eating smirk making its way on his lips as he stared at the back of the brunette’s head. It didn’t escape his notice that she was sitting rather rigidly in her seat. He assumed that it had something to do with the Indian Ravenclaw, who seemed to be extremely devoted in passing her furtive notes, probably containing questions upon questions regarding the incident along the Charms hallway.

               He rather enjoys seeing the Gryffindor Golden Girl squirm, yet another side of her unveiled before his eyes. Observing her expressions and anticipating her reactions had been a game to him ever since fourth year, the time wherein the caterpillar blossomed into a gorgeous butterfly and the phase where most boys started to notice her charm. He knew this because he listens to conversations in the boys’ lavatory. At one point, Theo and Blaise accused him of being a girl which he vehemently denied but, his sentiments were shared by both his best mates. Apparently, it wasn’t only the Hogwarts’ gentry that were allured by Granger’s sudden maturity because the Durmstrang men were covertly eyeing her wherever she went.

               It was rather hilarious seeing them bungle speaking in English in hopes that they’ll get to know her better but, at the same time, it grated on his nerves seeing her get flustered by their attention, the Crimson of her cheeks too appealing and enticing to behold. Realizing that he was becoming invested with her, he distracted himself with the girls that were throwing themselves at him thus, building his current reputation. With delightful and sensual preoccupation, his thoughts about Granger were placed at the backburner but, it came back full force when she walked in the double doors of the Great Hall with Viktor Krum dressed in that soft, Periwinkle dress and a sweet smile during the Yule Ball. Throughout the night, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her and neither most of the males. He could practically hear every thought racing through their minds as they visibly undress her with their eyes.

               There was nothing else that was churning in his head other than the thought of cursing every single male within the vicinity that was staring at her perversely. It took an enormous amount of self-control not to get up from his seat and pummel every boy he heard whispering about the things they want to do to her. He couldn’t understand why he even cared or why he was so enraged. She was nothing more than a speck of dust beneath his shoe yet, she plagued his mind. He hated her with a passion because of her blood, her House affiliation, and her friends but, at the same time, she baffled him.

               Everything his father told him about Muggles and Muggle-borns were sucked down the drain the moment he met Granger. The girl is basically a fucking genius. Even the Slytherins grudgingly accepted that fact which is feat of its own considering the House’s stance against Muggle-borns. Of course, though they began to respect her a little, that didn’t change the rivalry between the two Houses. It just made them see one another in a different way and he did. His changed view on her was what made him play the bet with Theo and Blaise.

               Maybe he wanted to know how much of his perception about her was true or how much his _father’s_ perception about Muggle-borns in general was true. Once upon a time, he could see no wrong with his father’s line of thinking but, as he grew old and into his own person, he began to create his own opinions and started to question the teachings his father taught him during his childhood. Despite what the other three Houses thought about Slytherins, they were not mindless idiots who merely followed family lines and codes. Every Slytherin have ambitions, just like the rest. They were merely more subtle and clever in achieving their goals even if they have to pretend to act brainless and injudicious.

               His objective this year is not only to have fun but, to crack the long-suffering puzzle that comes in the form of Granger. It’s high time that someone figure the workings of her mind. Merely observing her from a distance isn’t enough. He had to get closer, to decipher every twitch, every move, every _thing_ she does. Watching her stiff posture, he can’t wait for Potions.

               With the bell ringing, the signal for the end of the period, he returned back to the present and played it cool that he missed most of the lecture. Well, he didn’t really need to be worried. He was gifted at Charms (literally and figuratively, he smirked). He didn’t need to put much effort in his studies, to be honest. Magic came easily to him as if it was as simple as breathing. If Granger wasn’t the swot that she was, he would have probably be the top performing student at Hogwarts.

               Before, it irked him to no end that she, a girl with no background knowledge regarding magic, bested him, a Pureblood from an old family of witches and wizards. It didn’t help him when his father knew. Lucius Malfoy was an authoritarian wizard. He gets what he wants, whenever and wherever he wants it. He never settles for anything less and the same goes for his son.

               He trained Draco to be the best as Malfoys are always used to be the best. To find out that his son was only second best was an outrage. The day his grades came during the summer after his first year, was in a word, eventful. Not once in his life was he subjected to his father’s unforgiving sneers and disappointed glares but, that was the day he got both. His father’s attitude towards him was dismissive and callous that he directed his anger towards the oblivious brunette Muggle-born witch.

               It was his melancholy and frustration that led him to call Granger a “ _Mudblood_ ”. He knew that not many used that word therefor, she wouldn’t know what it means but, he saw the change in her eyes and the damnable feeling of guilt coiled in his stomach. The angelic side of him wanted to track her down and apologise for his uncalled-for behaviour but, the prideful side of him that, not surprisingly, sounded like his father told him that she deserved every word he said. It also reminded him of his father greatly that he swallowed what tiny sliver of goodness that crept up inside of him and followed the ill advice of his metaphysical self. That day cemented the conflict between him and her.

               Their fights, as compared to his and Saint Potter, were vicious. They exchanged harsh words that led them to be fuming and puce-coloured. It was one of the reasons why their professors never paired them up. For some bizarre reason, Dumbledore thought it best to pair them up with Snape agreeing as he made them lab partners. It would seem that the staff is rather keen on pairing rival Houses together as Flitwick announced their Charms final.

“For the second part of our lesson, I would be assigning each of you a partner to work with for your Charms final. This project will take up seventy percent of your total grade; the remaining thirty will be the written exam.” The miniscule professor squeaked. “Now, for the nature of your task, each pair is to create a spell.” At this proclamation, every student gasped and groaned. So far, the workload was beginning to pile up and it wasn’t even the middle of the term. Also, every lesson was harder than the last that it was becoming increasingly difficult to divide time to study for every subject. Dark mutterings and expletives could be heard across the room, each student theorizing that the professors were conspiring against them. With the class in unrest, Flitwick tapped his wand against the podium he stood on, bringing back attention to him, completely unaware or ignoring the scowls and frowns on every face.

“Well, now that I have all of your attention again, I will be discussing to all of you the intricacies of your project. This venture is tied with your Defense Against the Dark Arts class wherein you will have the liberty to test the effectiveness of your new spell in a controlled and monitored environment. You will build the theory, the root, and basically the framework of your spell here in this class where I can help you further your ideas, giving out opinions and aiding you in case you get stuck in a particular area.” He explained, taking in the resigned expressions of the students.

               It wasn’t a bad deal. A collaboration between Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts is a clever move as most Charms work are used in Defense. Besides, it will be less stressful and hassle-free to have one less project for the year because for sure, more will pop up.

“On that note, I will now be announcing your partner, who will also be your partner for your Defense class.” Flitwick exclaimed, cheerily, summoning a parchment from his office, pointedly overlooking the annoyed prattling of students. With the list in his tiny hands, he cleared his throat and the students visibly tensed, each holding their breaths as their fates rests in the hands of their respective partners. At this point, no one wants to fail, especially when two classes rides on this project and every, single one of them was praying to Merlin that they’ll be lucky enough not have a dunce as a partner.

“When I call your names, please proceed to your partners. I shall begin.”

               One-by-one, his classmates were, each of them wearing an expression of joy or doom as they made their way to their partners. He kept close tabs on the pairings, hoping that he would, once again, be placed together with Granger. So far, she wasn’t called and he had the feeling that Flitwick either paired her with someone as intelligent as she is or paired her with someone who is in dire need of help. There weren’t many that was pathetically rubbish at Charms but, there were some that people tend to avoid like Finnigan and his explosive spells, Orla Quirke and her tendency to jab someone in the eye with her overzealous wand-waving, and Zacharias Smith, who was average at best but, because of his attitude problem has the difficulty of working with anyone, let alone retain someone capable of tolerating him. Still, it was entertaining to see people drag their feet or jump for joy and with that said, he almost laughed out loud when Crabbe was paired with Lavender Brown.

               The two were the worst students what with Crabbe being unable to even levitate a feather and Brown only bothering to keep up with latest beauty Charms and fashion tips. He could already foresee the dim and gloomy future for the two of them as they grudgingly sat down together, maintaining some distance between them.

“That ought to be interesting.” Blaise murmured, sniggering under his breath. Theo, who was sitting on his left, snorted.

“You seriously have poor taste on what is interesting.” The dirty-Blonde remarked, affronted at the dark-skinned wizard’s comment.

“Oh, come on, Nott. Don’t tell me you aren’t curious as to what those two will do. With Crabbe’s lack of brain cells and Brown’s almost non-commitment towards anything unrelated to boys and make-up, it’ll be a miracle if they ever came up with something.”    

“You already said it so yourself, ‘ _if they ever came up with something_.’ I’m betting that they’ll spend the rest of the year ignoring each other until they’ve completely forgotten about the project. They’ll only come around when it’s the last few weeks and they’ll be floundering about like headless chickens. With that said, there’s nothing even remotely close to interesting with their situation.” Theo stated primly, a tone of bored finality in his voice. Blaise looked at him as if he was a new breed of magical creature.

“How certain are you?” He challenged. Theo rolled his eyes but, answered.

“In case it escaped your brain, that happened two years ago. Granted, his partner wasn’t Brown but, Lisa Turpin from Ravenclaw.”

“I remember that. Although, Theo, Turpin didn’t exactly ‘ _flounder like a headless chicken_ ’ when she actually did her share of work.” Draco piped in, keeping his attention on Flitwick, not wanting to miss his and his partner’s names.

“But, she freaked when Crabbe wasn’t able to produce his part due to his ineptness at magic and it was reminiscent of a headless chicken that I had to turn away to keep myself from laughing.” The dirty-Blonde Slytherin countered.

“It was her fault, really, thinking that she can leave him by himself. It was as if she didn’t know. Where the hell does she live? Under a rock? It’s well known that Crabbe is dismal at everything magic.” Draco said, clicking his tongue and shaking his head lightly.

“She may be a Ravenclaw but, apparently, she doesn’t know everything.” Blaise pointed out, shrugging noncommittally.

“Well, she’s no Granger.” Theo declared, grinning. The dark-skinned wizard smirked in return as their eyes sought out to stare at the brunette-in-question. Similarly, his Grey eyes landed on her back. She leaned sideways to address Potty and Longbottom when Flitwick called her name. Immediately, she whipped her head towards him, unintentionally slapping Potter with her curls. He smirked at the hilarity of that event. It distracted him from hearing who her partner was but, he regained his sensibilities when he heard the chair next to him scrape across the floor.  

               Turning to his side, he saw Theo stand, a winning smile pasted on his lips. He winked at them as he made his way to sit beside the girl. He watched as he slid next to her, offering her a charming smile to which she returned cordially. When they had enough of pleasantries, Granger turned her attention back to the front while Theo turned to look over his shoulder and smirk at them smugly. Before either he or Blaise could react, the dirty-Blonde turned away and struck the Gryffindor in a conversation.

               He blinked. _What just happened?_ It was his lucky day! She should have been his partner, not Theo! He was the one who was supposed to be sitting next to her, not Theodore _fucking_ Nott!

               He was the one who was supposed to be making her blush, not _him_! He scowled deeply when he saw her smile at his friend for the second time and it made him want to wipe the answering smile Theo was giving her. How come she can smile at Theo when he’s as bad as he was? He used to laugh at her and sneer at her as if she smelled something rotten but, it seemed she forgot every transgression he made against her as she talked to him. Glaring at the side of her face, he internally fumed, cursing Granger quite colourfully.

“Man, Nott sure got it good. I mean, partners with Granger for Charms and Defense? He’s got a decent chance of passing both classes and wooing her. Lucky bastard.” Blaise grumbled beside him and he can’t quite help himself but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, let the game begin, teehee~


	6. In Between

               If it was humanly possible, she would say that she was walk-flying. _Is that even a word?_ Everything was a blur to her as she made her way hurriedly to the library where she was to be meeting Theodore Nott for their project for Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. They agreed that they should start early so that they’ll have time for other subjects that they needed to study for. For once, she was actually impressed with someone, who was dedicated and serious about their education.

               Most witches and wizards take their schooling for granted. It grated on her how they skive off all the time when they can use that to learn something. She guessed it was because of the privilege given to them. They were born into this and she wasn’t. Maybe if she was, she would be blasé about it too but, she couldn’t even fathom it.

               She loves school. She loves learning, period. There isn’t anything greater than gaining a new skill or knowledge every day. It was fulfilling and it gave her a far richer sense of superiority that she knows something that most people don’t. As much as she loves dishing out information to ignorant people, she adores studying and learning even more.

               That’s why, she appreciated Theodore Nott when he suggested that they go to the library because, despite his appearance, he honestly respected the sanctity of learning. It actually shocked her when he talked to her during Charms _about_ Charms. No one, and she repeats, _no one_ has ever engaged her in a discussion about Charms unless they were either asking for help for their assignment or she was explaining theories about the spell work in simpler terms. Her friends usually tune her out, the only ones really listening would be Neville, the boy who’s clearly a mess in every subject other than Herbology, and Ginny, who’s endearingly working hard to earn the appropriate grades to be able to enter St. Mungo’s Healer Program, much to the surprise of everyone as all of them thought that she’d be playing professional Quidditch after school. Contrary to popular belief, the red-headed witch never aspired to be a professional Quidditch player because, according to her, though playing for an international league will be fulfilling and a dream-come-true, it wasn’t always a secure profession and the youngest Weasley let go of that desire for something that she was actually more talented at.

               Hermione, the fore-runner of all things anti-Quidditch and flying, embraced the girl so hard that Ginny, literally, choked. Ron, of course, thought that his sister was barmy for exchanging Quidditch for a Healer program that he ranted at Ginny for at least an hour. It would have gone further if Fred, George, Hermione, Ginny, and most especially, Harry didn’t hex him to pieces. The boy was angry at them for a week but, they hardly cared because they gave most of their attention to teasing Ginny and Harry about their support for one another. Their love sickness towards one another was sickeningly cute and annoying at the same time, it was frustrating that both of them were denying that the other didn’t want them back.

               The twins, together with Molly – the ultimate fan girl of the coupling between her daughter and Harry, and Hermione, planned the rest of the summer to push both parties towards the right direction. Alas, luck wasn’t on their side as each idea ended up with one of them getting hurt or in Hermione’s case, warding off an extremely drugged and interested Percy (Molly hollered and lectured the twins for three hours when she knew about that), or Ron’s oblivious but, well-timed interruption. It was a disaster but, it was still a comedy to see Harry fumbling for words or Ginny dying of embarrassment when Arthur walked-in on them whilst engaged in an almost-kiss. Fred and George passed the baton to her to get the couple together by the end of the year and Hermione will surely get it done…Only if she gets her mind straight and completely clean of distractions.

               Barely a month in and crazy, weird things has been happening around her. _Is there some kind of sorcery going on at the background?_ Not only does Malfoy seem to be…different, Nott does, too. She wondered if this was some sort of Pureblood thing but, she’s also surrounded by a number of Purebloods in Gryffindor Tower and they didn’t seem to be any different. It was only the Slytherins, particularly, Malfoy and Nott, who was acting oddly out-of-character in her presence that she had taken to avoiding them as much as possible, deciding to interact with them inside the classroom but, other than that, she would rather spend her day with Moaning Myrtle than suffer their peculiar behaviour although that didn’t stop her from thinking or rather, overthinking things like she usually do.

                She don’t know the both of them that much, other than they were Pureblood snobs with an abundance of Slytherin pomp that the Gryffindor sass in her just itches to deflate. When they weren’t laying down their supposed superiority to everyone, they were hell-bent in picking-up fights with her and her friends. She usually sees him hanging around the back, letting Malfoy do the talking while he laugh and sneer at them. That was the only time he would recognize her presence but, other than that, she wasn’t sure that he acknowledged her existence during other times. Oh, it didn’t bother that she’s just a dark thought in his mind but, he seemed to have underwent a complete one-eighty and morphed into a sweet cherub when he exchanged ideas with her.

               Did she even mention that he was _nice_?  Yes, Theodore Nott was nice, like God-he’s-such-an-angel kind of nice. Did she also mention that he was chatting up to her and she was actually responding as if they were friends? And did she also mention that she actually _enjoyed_ talking to him? Merlin, has the world gone completely batty?

               She contemplated telling her friends but, decided against it. She was still avoiding them, particularly, Padma and Ginny, although she knew that they figured out that she was eluding them. She couldn’t bring herself to face the music and spill her guts because surely, they will be taking the mickey out of it and she isn’t quite certain that she’ll be able to handle it without exploding. Besides, there was nothing note-worthy to spill and being in close quarters with Malfoy driving her near tears whenever she would be hit by his scent that she had to breathe through her mouth to avoid smelling his blasted heady odour _isn’t_ interesting enough.

               Her Potions class that week was a challenge and a nightmare rolled into one that just by remembering it, made her close her eyes and shake her head for her stupidity. It had started as any normal Potions class with Snape hissing at every Gryffindor available, giving out points unjustly to any Slytherin he deems appropriate of his attention, Harry speaking out of turn, promptly losing Gryffindor seventy points, and Ron losing his cool at Snape for his blatant discrimination, causing Gryffindor to lose yet _another_ seventy points. That ended with the whole House scowling and frowning while the Slytherins were snickering and smirking shamelessly. It took everything in her to keep her mouth shut to avoid any more conflict but, for the love of Merlin, Morgana and all things magic, Malfoy just had to open his idiotic mouth.

_Harry and Ron teamed together in standing up against Snape and the three of them were involved in a slanging match that was quickly becoming the center of attention in class. Everyone was in rapture, watching her two best fri – sorry, that’s now her **only** best male friend and her best male friend’s…friend turn puce in anger and humiliation after Snape called them “brainless”, “injudicious”(twice), and “boorish” before throwing a freshly-picked turnip on their heads.  _

_“Aren’t you going for the heroic rescue and be the not-so-clandestine heroine you are for Potty and Weasel?” He drawled near her ear, his hot breath caressing the side of her face, the phantom aroma of cinnamon wafting to her nose. His sultry voice sounded like music to her ears that it made the hateful spat in the background melt away, until it was merely a static noise. Reigning herself in, she glared at him over her shoulder and had to stamp down the gasp from escaping out of her mouth upon realizing his closeness to her. She could see the flecks of Blue in his eyes, the individual strands of fine hair of his lashes, and feel the heat rolling of his body. The warmth was tortuously inviting that she wanted to burrow into that balminess and stay._

_“ **What the actual fuck?! Hermione Granger, are you forgetting who you are dealing with? It’s Malfoy! Draco Malfoy, the malformed ferret extraordinaire! He’s bad news! Do I have to spell it out for you?! B-A-D space N-E-W-S! Bad News! So, stay away! You hear me?! Stay the hell away from that spawn of Satan!** ” Her inner nun cautioned and harangued at the same time. As if snapping out of a Hallucination Potion, she regained her senses and gave him her best imitation of Professor McGonagall. She desisted at thinking about their miniscule distance and chanted in her head that his fragrance is reminiscent of a skunk’s fart. Gritting her teeth, she steeled her mind to remain unaffected and settled to deal with her situation as calmly, gracefully, calmly, patiently, calmly as could without Snape noticing them._

_“Harry and Ron are capable wizards who can handle any situation.” She began, the lie coming out of her lips perfectly without a shadow of doubt but, Malfoy snorted, making her turn to face him properly. “What was that for?” She asked, narrowing her Brown eyes at him. He smirked._

_“It kind of explains everything, doesn’t it? Brilliant witch like you don’t need any more elaboration, don’t you think?” Malfoy replied, his trademark smirk widening at her stunned expression._

_Brilliant. He called her “brilliant”. Did he just… **praise** her? Staring at him, she saw amusement lurking in his eyes but, what shook her to the core and rendered her speechless was the sincerity behind his twin pools of molten Silver orbs. Holy mother of pearls, Draco effin’ Malfoy just complimented her! And she doesn’t know what to say!_

_For the first time in her life, she, Hermione Granger, has no words even though she has more than enough in her vocabulary. It fell to Malfoy to announce that fact out loud and he did it happily._

_“Did I just leave you tongue-tied?” He questioned, his Grey eyes glimmering in mirth. She scoffed, the moment ruined as his usual attitude returned. Granted, his earlier remarked was an insult veiled as an encomium but, it didn’t escape her that he thought that she was brilliant regardless of their bitter relations. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of thinking that he caught her good. She would rather die than let him know that she was, indeed, inarticulate after that sudden comment._

_“Was that an attempt in flattering me? If so, it’s not even the least bit convincing.” She retorted, plastering a haughty expression on her face in hopes of deluding him from thinking otherwise. He chuckled and she had to squeeze her fists real tight to stop the shiver that threatened to plague her at the sound of his silky laugh._

_“My, my, Granger, if anyone can hear you right now, they will think that you want me to shower you with accolades.” He responded back, lifting a hand and twirled a strand of hair around his finger. She blushed at the action and tugged her hair away from his prying hand._

_“From you?” She snorted in an unlady-like demeanour that made Malfoy’s eyebrows hit the roof of his forehead and more blood rushed on her cheeks but, she pushed back her embarrassment to answer the Blonde Slytherin. “Any compliment from you is bound to be an insult so, don’t even bother. You’ll just pollute the air with your horrible breath.”_

_Leaving no room for any more arguments, she turned her back towards the table and returned her attention towards the Potion that they – sorry, that was the Potion that **she** was brewing. Muttering under her breath about uncooperative, insubordinate and cocky ferrets, she didn’t see him move behind her back and leaned close, his lips grazing her ear and his hot breath tickling her neck. She gasped, momentously surprised at the sudden assault on her person and immensely alarmed that someone would see them even though their station was at the very back of the classroom. She made to move away but, he was much faster than her and caged her in place as his lithe arms shot up from his side, placing a hand upon the edge of the table. Her breath got stuck in her throat like slime as he pushed closer on her back, feeling the curves, dips, and hard lines of his chest even with clothes separating her from his sculpted torso._

_Dangerous thoughts began to circle around her head and she tried to distract herself by continuing on stirring their potion. She was beginning to forget Malfoy’s presence on her back but, it was as if he didn’t want her to overlook his existence and he reminded her by ducking his head on the crook of her neck and oh-so-slowly traced the length, lightly, with the tip of his nose. Stiffening in her spot and completely forgetting about their potion, Hermione focused all of her attention towards the Blonde’s ministrations. The way he skimmed over her skin was akin to the art of Potion-making: thorough, intensive, and intuitive. He left no area untouched, discovering each secret there is to be gained in every nook he travelled._

_By the third time he scoured her neck, she was a tingling mess. Inside, butterflies were overturning her stomach, her mind was completely in a daze and heat was swiftly building between her legs. The warmth of the room due to the fumes coupled by Malfoy’s proximity made her sweat, both cold and hot. Nothing else was registering in her head, except for Malfoy and his out-of-the-blue and insanely intimate action at the back of the Potions classroom in the middle of a lesson with Snape and a bunch of their classmates. For one crazy minute, everything about the situation was wicked but then, she remembered who **she** is and who **he** was._

_In a flurry of panic, Hermione wretched herself away from him, horror and disgust coloring her face as she placed as much distance between the two of them as she can._

_“Just what are you doing, Malfoy?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper but, he heard her harsh and ragged breath loud and clear. He looked at her, an unreadable expression in his face and a different kind of light in his eyes that made her unconsciously gulp and look around the room nervously._

_“Jumpy, are we? Is the brave lioness afraid of the conniving but, devilishly handsome snake?” He quizzed. She noted that he mocked her and complimented himself in the same breath. She would have laughed at his narcissism in any other situation but, she just found herself unable to breath properly as leisurely walking towards her as if he was strolling in a park, his Grey eyes smouldering and she found herself unable to look away although her mind was screaming for her to move but, her legs won’t budge. For the third time that day, she found herself in extremely close quarters with Malfoy, all coherent thought escaping from her usually busy mind as he leaned in her face, their noses inches apart._

_“Cat got your tongue, Granger? You know, as much as I like rendering you tongue-tied, there is something that I would rather do to make your tongue tied.” He remarked, a roguish gleam flashing in his eyes as his gaze dropped down to her lips. The butterflies plaguing her belly transformed into moths and her knees almost buckled at the way he was staring at her lips and at the innuendo of his words. The sinful look in his eyes made her think of it would be like to feel his lips, to caress it with her own and not just her fingers. Catching her line of thought, Hermione unconsciously bit her lip and Malfoy’s eyes flickered to her own, holding her Whiskey-Brown eyes in an intense gaze._

_She could hear roaring in her ears as her heart pounded loudly, it was a miracle that he didn’t hear it but, to her, it didn’t matter because there was one thing she was dying to do. Hermione Granger, bookworm extraordinaire, Head Girl, and Gryffindor’s Golden Girl, wants Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret, Slytherin Quidditch Captain, Number One Most Eligible Bachelor in Hogwarts, to kiss her. It wasn’t right, she knew. Hell, screw that it wasn’t right, it’s forbidden. No Gryffindor in their right mind would shack up with their most hated rival and everybody knows just how much animosity there is between the two sets of cliques but, here she was, wishing that Malfoy would kiss her._

_Alarm bells were ringing high and loud in her brain but, for the first time in her life, Hermione shoved them away and let her mind go completely blank. She never felt this kind of overwhelming feeling when she briefly dated Viktor during her fourth year. They had been intimate but, her heart and mind were always at war with one another that it made being with the hunky Bulgarian bon-bon difficult. She felt bad for breaking up with him because, honestly, he was the perfect gentleman. He never forced her to do anything she didn’t want nor did he try to impress her the way most boys would, thinking that bragging about their achievements is the way to capture a girl’s attention._

_Endearing, sweet, and kind – Viktor was every girl’s dream boy regardless of the surly expression always painted on his handsome features. Malfoy, on the other hand, was an egotistical and spoiled prat. He knew what kind of effect he has on girls and he exploits it. He was the type that enjoys a bed warmer but, would never commit to anyone. That was the kind of attitude she loathes the most and yet, here she was, standing chest-to-chest with him, unable to pull away._

_To make matters worse, she even wants to kiss him, the man-slag that he is. It was official: Hermione Granger has certainly lost her mind. She needs to rush herself to St. Mungo’s at this rate. She wasn’t sure she can handle any more of…this…whatever it is that Malfoy’s doing to her. At that moment, her brilliant mind realized something – What if he was just playing with her?_

_That one question made her haze dissipate and really see Malfoy. It was a mistake because, he was closer, much closer than she realized, his lips merely a hair’s inch away from her own and she made the foolish gaffe of looking at it. She let her gaze linger at it for a moment before looking up to him, only for her to notice that he was observing her with an odd light in his eyes. The way he was regarding her made her feel self-conscious. It wasn’t the usual contemptuous look he shoots her every time they passed each other in the hallways. This was something entirely different._

_“Have you come up with an answer? Or do I need to give you more time?” He questioned silkily, eyes darkening as he looked down at her. His voice sounded hypnotic, melodic even, and extremely knee-buckling that she grabbed hold of whatever it was that her hand managed to hold onto as if it was her life line. In a way, it really was because she was one step away from hyperventilating as his lips ghosted above hers, his sweet breath assaulting her senses once more, the heavenly scent making it challenging for to string a single sensible sentence._

_“Silence means yes, Granger.” He professed, a sexy smirk blooming on his face, taking advantage of her uncharacteristic silence. The infuriating leer on his face did the trick as it broke her out of her fog and she scoffed, condescendingly._

_“Your imagination astounds me, Malfoy. For someone who comes in second after me, I’m shocked that have any. You deserve a pat in the back for unlocking that skill.” She bit back, scathingly._

_“Oh, I have a lot. You see, I rather have an imaginative mind. Would you like me to tell you what runs in my mind at the moment… **Hermione**?”_

               It went to Hades after that. It was something that will forever be ingrained in her mind no matter how much she tried to force herself to forget. She fell apart at the sound of her name rolling off his lips. Sure, he called her by her Christian name during the time he and she bumped into each other, unsettling her beyond belief that she gained her first detention after six years of clean record but, the way he used her name before and now were completely different. Before, it was like he was testing her name, familiarizing himself with the syllables and letters, similar to how people usually meet but, now…just hearing the sound of her name from his mouth with his timbre made her flush all over. She knew that her name was quite unique, making most people twist their tongue in pronouncing it but, it never occurred to her that it could sound so mesmerizing, suggestive, and naughty with him saying it.

               The sound travelled south, where she felt a sudden wetness in between her thighs. That discovery made her heart jump in her throat as it never happened to her before. He was merely saying her name and she was already turned on?! It perturbed, petrified, and astonished her all at the same time that she felt all of her blood drain in her body, leaving her limp, her hand loosening its tight grip on whatever surface she was holding. It was yet another mistake that she made.

               In her haze earlier, she didn’t realize that she was clutching her brass scales filled with crushed Fire Seed, sitting quite near their boiling cauldron. With her slackened grip, the scales bumped the stand holding the cauldron above the fire, sending the bubbling pot toppling over, spattering its contents onto the table, containing the other ingredients. This incident caused both her and Malfoy to step away from one another and surveyed the crime scene. Before either of them could react, the spilled potion reacted to the prepared and unprepared ingredients coupled with the air humidity, density, and viscosity, causing it to explode and bathe the unsuspecting class with Greenish-yellow slime that appears to be similar to snot. As if bursting into an unattractive substance with a rather unsightly shade, the whole class was stuck in place, the nearest to them completely unable to move due to the reason of being drenched from head to toe in slime.

               The universe, seemingly unsatisfied, had to make the worst scenario happen. Up front, where Harry, Ron, and Snape had been fighting, she noticed that they were all standing all too close to each, enough to be actually considered awkward. She thought that the Potions Master was still lecturing them but, upon closer inspection, she realized, much to her horror, that the three of them were stuck in a rather salacious position had it not been for the dark expressions on their faces. She covered her face, scarlet colouring her cheeks as she realized the consequence of her negligence, and foolishness. It also didn’t escape her notice that while some were quite disgruntled by their current predicament, most were snickering and giggling at the present positions of Snape, Harry, and Ron.

               They looked as if they were in a cover of some R-18 novel, with Snape looming over Harry, almost nose-to-nose, and Ron, whose chest was firmly stuck on the bespectacled wizard’s back, his hand hovering at Harry’s waist as he glared at the greasy-haired professor’s head. It was quite the spectacle, if only it wasn’t her who caused the situation. Much to her chagrin, Malfoy had the _gall_ to laugh as if he wasn’t at fault. It made her tiny thread of patience and sanity snap and she burst into a raging fit, screaming at him for everyone to hear, oblivious to the audience that they now gained. By the time she managed to get her bearings right, Malfoy, the git, was smirking at her with amusement, her classmates staring at her in awe as they never heard her swear in public, Harry, and Ron, both of whom tried but, miserably failed to turn their heads to gawk at her only to appear as if they were sporting stiff necks, gaped at her as if she had grown another pair of head, and Snape, though not staring at her, emitted an aura so menacing that she involuntarily stepped back.

               In honesty, she didn’t know that she did but, really, Snape is truly intimidating whether or not he looks at you in the eye. Of course, her delightfully jovial lab partner wasn’t the least bit subdued, instead, he looked even more pleased by the whole ordeal. She wanted to punch the thrilled expression on his face as she received detention and made Gryffindor lose one hundred points because of her “know-it-all” tendencies. She fumed because Snape made yet another jab at her intelligence. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t heard it before but, it still made her clench her teeth, fist her hands, and blink her eyes at the mockery.

               What really irritated her further was that Snape didn’t even give Malfoy any detention or even deduct points off of him. Of course, Harry – thank Merlin for that boy – defended her and pointed out his favouritism for which he lost Gryffindor fifty points. Everything beyond that was blur. She remembered her Housemates falling in arms to protest the unjust treatment of Snape whilst the Slytherins watched in boredom. With all the commotion, Hermione faintly remembered that she whirled at Malfoy, angrily hissing at him for being such a tool and for distracting her.

               At that admission, he grew invested and she had to resist the urge to slam her head at a wall for slipping up. Doing some quick thinking, Hermione lied through her teeth and denied any remark that fell from Malfoy’s lips but, the damage has been delivered. He clearly knew his effect on her and seeing the sparkle in his eyes made her feel as if her doom was coming early. When the final bell rang, she quickly fled the room, not even bothering to wait for Harry and the rest of her Housemates to sort themselves from being stuck. She made it a point for the rest of the day and the other days to come, to avoid Malfoy and to her immense pleasure, he hadn’t bothered her.

               It confused her at first, seeing as he held valuable information that she refuses to admit and use to his advantage but, he hadn’t done anything remotely annoying or out-of-character. In fact, he was quiet, _too_ quiet for her liking and she was getting on edge. Being high-strung as she was, she prepared both her psyche and body for any encounter with Malfoy but, it was another Slytherin who made an appearance on a certain Arithmancy class the week after her blunder in Potions (which Snape made sure to punish her thoroughly by ordering her to scrub the grimy, coated cabinets of Potions ingredients and the classroom floor until her fingers grew numb and raw every single night for two weeks without magic and under his watchful eye). She was mildly surprised to see Theodore Nott waiting for her outside the classroom they had just vacated and smiled at her handsomely, she heard the girls passing by them sigh wistfully.

               She would have sighed stupidly just like those girls but, she made to desist. It was starting to annoy her, how much their presence affects her. In the past, she couldn’t even stomach to be in the same room as them, much less breathe the same air but, now, just a glimpse of them makes her stomach erupt in erratic butterflies. Just seeing the bright Golden-Brown eyes of Hogwarts’ resident Golden Boy made her catch her breath and being under said gaze made her melt. His voice, oh, his voice – it was reminiscent of a gentle breeze during a light summer’s day.

               The allure of his tenor coupled with hypnotizing gaze and endearing smile almost placed her under his spell, if only the bell ringing didn’t save her from embarrassing herself in front of him. It didn’t even register in her mind what he said or if he even said anything and as if he had a sixth sense, he spoke again, inviting her to the library to begin their Charms project. She, being herself, apologized for spacing out and to all things holy, Theodore Nott laughed. She repeats, he _laughed_ – as in full-blown head-thrown-back-laughing-out-loud. Never has she ever heard of a laugh as beautiful as his.

               It sounded so light and free, so innocent as if he was a child. She has never heard any of the Slytherins laugh sincerely. Yes, they would chuckle but, it would be laced with cruel amusement or mockery. This, this was different. It was like seeing a different perspective of the hardened Slytherin and she can’t help but, be in awe. He was the picture of purity at that moment and she found it hard to look away.

               She didn’t know how long they stood there, with him laughing heartily and her staring at him with wonder in her eyes but, it didn’t matter to her. She liked the sound of his laugh and the feather-light feeling she gets from him. With him, she felt as if she was floating, no baggage or any burdens, just herself. It was a pretty weird and confusing emotion to feel towards someone you’ve never even talked to before except to throw insults but, she felt as if she could talk to him all day and not be bored at all. It was refreshing.

               He was like a whiff of fresh air, all golden and bright, it was surprising he was placed in Slytherin but, she was merely basing things through his physical attributes. She hasn’t known him personally, only in passing and though she had judged him previously, she was getting to know him. Whether his attitude towards her was genuine or not, that remains to be seen but, if she were to be extremely honest, she wished that he was. It didn’t surprise her that he was intelligent but, what did was his not-so subtle adoration towards Charms. His love for the particular branch of magic was as adorable as Neville’s love for Herbology.

               The way his eyes would light up when talking about theories and plausible solutions to make a Charm more efficient and effective reminds her of herself that she felt as if a connection was created between her and the dirty-Blonde Slytherin. She couldn’t deny the pull she felt towards him that it barely registered to her mind that she agreed to meet up with him at her sanctuary, the library. The time it did, he was gone and a group of fourth year Ravenclaws were clearing their throats at her to gain her attention as she was blocking the door path to the classroom. Pulling out of her daze, she muttered an apology and swiftly stepped to the side to let the Ravenclaws in but not before throwing glares at her direction to which she pointedly avoided. She walked away feeling even more frustrated and muddled towards two Slytherins.

                Now, as she walked towards the library to meet up with Nott, she tried to be as cool as a cucumber but, she was failing. Her heart faltered a little when she saw him waiting by the library door, casually leaning against the wall, holding a book on his hand, a look of fascinated rapture on his fair face. Slowing down, she took her time to observe him. She never noticed how much he grew up from the lanky school boy she knew him as to a more refined and lean man he was today. His boyish features matured to a rugged appearance that fit criminally with his trimmer and muscular physique.

                She noticed that he forgo wearing his robes and went for a casual look. He donned smoke-Gray trousers he paired with a dark Blue, button-up long-sleeved shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing well-toned forearms, veins coiling like snakes on his skin every time he flipped a page or flexed his arms. Slender fingers brushed the smooth surface of the sheet he was currently reading, the action reminiscent of the touch of a lover and she flushed as her train of thoughts were bordering obscene. As fate would have it, Nott chose that exact moment to look up from his book. Their eyes connected, Golden-Brown to liquid Whiskey and the rest of the world seemed to fade away.

                Never leaving his eyes from her, he pushed off the wall and walked towards her. His movement was graceful, controlled, and at same time, sensual. There was something about the way his trousers cling to his legs that made her throat dry and leave her panting for air. When he reached her, she was holding her breath; it was a miracle that she hasn’t passed out.  For a moment, they merely stared at each other, appraising, observing. Tension was high and thick but neither of them seemed to notice, both absorbed with different thoughts about the person before them.

                It was the second time that she couldn’t conjure any words because of a _boy_. She thought it to be silly to be inarticulate just by being in the presence of a male but, she could understand now. She was finding it challenging to speak with Theodore Nott staring at her so intently she felt bare. Unintentionally, her mind went south again and she blushed. She immediately ducked her head to avoid questioning and a second later, she heard him chuckle.

“What were you thinking about that made you blush like a tomato?” He asked. Although she couldn’t see his face, she could hear the amusement oozing from his voice.

“Nothing. Just…nothing.” She murmured softly, eyes still downcast. Hermione wished that the earth would open up and swallow her whole. She was ultimately embarrassed by her thoughts and to have the boy who was wildly plaguing her state of mind question her made her want to crawl under a rock and never resurface again.

“Don’t bow down your head. The pretty blush on your face will be wasted if no one is to appreciate it.” He said, voice a decadent as rich chocolate. Her head snapped up and her wide, doe eyes looked at him with surprise.

“What?” She squeaked, flustered beyond reason. She could feel her blush creeping up her face and she made to duck her head once again only to be thwarted by Nott’s fingers on her chin. She froze, unable to think of anything else other than the innocent, silky touch of the sinfully angelic boy in front of her. Her eyes connected with his and she noticed that he was close enough that she was able to see the almost none-existent freckles dusting the bridge of his nose.

“Stop doing that.” He answered, his eyes making a slow sweep across her face, lingering slightly on her lips before returning back to her eyes. As he was assessing her, he was unconsciously caressing her jaw with his thumb and it reduced her into a pile of mush. She didn’t want to admit but, she felt lovely under his gaze and touch. The gentleness of his fingers made her muscles loosen from its tight knots and she succumbed to his soft attention.

“ _By Merlin’s good name, Hermione, wake up! First Malfoy, now Nott?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you that sexually deprived that any male that makes a move, you’ll fall prey?! You’re supposed to be the “Brightest Witch of the Age” but, presented by male attention, you suddenly become like a silly chit letting her stupid hormones take possession of her brain?! Are you turning into sodding Ronald Weasley, who would rather use his other head than use his actual brain?!_ ” Her inner nun chastised, sounding rather disappointed and disgusted with her easily seduced attitude. With the words ringing loudly in her ears, she was jolted back to reality and she sprung away from him, head swivelling left and right to see whether or not their schoolmates saw them.

“Ashamed to be seen with me, Granger?” He queried, arms folded on his chest. She looked back at him, his eyebrows cocked into an arch. He didn’t seem to be offended, she noted.

“No. I am not. Why would I be?” She threw back at him, her own eyebrows rising to the roof of her forehead.

“If anyone saw what transpired earlier, I’m sure they would reach the wrong conclusion and you wouldn’t want that, would you? It’ll tarnish your spotless record and all.” He replied breezily, a smirk gracing his lips and she looked away, flustered at his blasé attitude. _Blasted Slytherin._ Clearing her throat, she hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder and raised her chin defiantly.

“Let’s not dawdle. I don’t want this to drag on until dinner.” She quipped crisply, completely ignoring his previous remark and pushed past him, leading the way to the library.

               Walking quickly, she placed a good amount of distance between them and the slight reprieve was a welcomed moment for her to think about her actions and their implications. Contemplating, she realized that her inner nun was right. First Malfoy and now, Nott? What in the world is she doing? This wasn’t supposed to be happening.

               Her last year was supposed to be about figuring about her future not cracking the mystery of Malfoy and Nott. Boys were supposed to be the last thing on her mind but, for the love of Gryffindor, it was all she could think of. It was a miracle that she can still write her assignments and quizzes with all the peculiar attention given to her by two-thirds of the Three Princes. She was tempted to confess everything that was bugging her to both Ginny and Padma but, something was stopping her. The torrent of emotions that was coursing through her was enough to drive her up against a wall and she wished that she was older so that she’ll be spared of the teenage angst and drama although, Ginny might object and Padma might preach at her for being a “ _killjoy_ ”.

                Too engrossed in her own thoughts, she didn’t realize that she was about to bump into a book shelf if it weren’t for the hand around her right wrist and on her left arm. Startled out of her musings, she looked up, seeing the distinguished Silvery-Grey eyes of Draco Malfoy looking at her with the same light she saw during their Potions class.

“What are you doing here?” She questioned, more vicious than normal. She didn’t want to see him nor speak with him after that incident. Seeing him makes her remember what happened and as if he knows what she was thinking, he smirked and he had the audacity to wink at her.

“What does it look like, Granger?” He questioned back, removing his hold on her arm, his slim digits grazing her robes, leaving a trail of fire on her clothed skin. Their fingers touched lightly and ever so slowly, Malfoy dragged the tips against her palm, his eyes trained at her the whole time and the fire that erupted on her arm spread to her entire body down to the pulsing heat between her thighs. With their connection severed, he leaned against the bookshelf with the ease and elegance of one born in high society, hands shoved inside his pockets. He looked to be the picture of insouciance as if he didn’t spend the last thirty seconds turning her into a maddening, tingling mess.

               It annoyed her incessantly. How could he look unaffected when she’s all hot and bothered? And it was such a simple action! She has to get back at him, consequences be damned.

“Oh, I don’t know. You’re probably thinking up ways on how to poison infants or perhaps catch up on reading how to be a detestable twat.” She exclaimed, hotly.

“I don’t take pleasure in torturing defenceless infants. As for being a detestable twat, that may be the case for you but for others, I’m far from detestable. In fact, I remember clearly that they all think that I’m _delectable_.” He drawled, a smug look on his face. She rolled her eyes at his ego and behind her, she heard someone scoff. Looking back, she saw Nott holding her wrist whilst giving Malfoy an indiscernible expression. She blinked. She forgot about him! How is that possible? Whipping her head to look at the Blonde Slytherin, she saw him glaring at Nott and she frowned. _Was there beef between the two_?

“Theo.” Malfoy greeted, nodding his head curtly at the dirty-Blonde. He was pointedly staring at the other Slytherin’s hand on the Gryffindor’s wrist. He didn’t like it.

“Draco. How good to see you here.” Nott responded in kind, returning his friend’s nod. Noting the cool manner in which they regarded each other, Hermione looked between the two of them, confusion swirling in her head. She knew that Malfoy, Nott, and Zabini were close friends who rarely fight and if they did, no one really knew. This was the first time it happened and she has the front row seat. She remained silent and listened.

“What brings you here? At this time of day, you would be inside some girl’s dormitory.” Malfoy remarked, folding his arms across his chest and her gaze zeroed in on his biceps as they flexed underneath his robes. Feeling the fingers curled around her wrist tightened, she was brought back to earth and turned to look at Nott, who was sporting an icy expression.

“So are you.” The dirty-Blonde said, taking a step closer until he was beside her. Hermione blushed at Nott’s reply, her mind conjuring millions of scenarios of Malfoy with different girls and her rattled expression morphed into a scowl at the foul thought. Irritated, she wretched her hand out of Nott’s grasp but, he held steadfast. To her great astonishment, he laced his fingers through hers and squeezed her palm so tight, it hurt. Her irritation vaporized and she was, once again, flustered. His hand was warm and big, cradling her own perfectly as if his hand was meant to hold hers. She blushed.

“So that is how it is, then.” Malfoy’s cool voice drifted to her ears and she look over to him to see his molten Silver-Grey pools harden into Steel. He stood straight, drawing to his full height as he stepped closer to them with her in between the two Slytherins. At their distance, Hermione can feel Malfoy’s heat but, she shivered. Cold fury emanated around him and licked at her. She didn’t know what occurred to raise the Blonde’s ire but, she would rather not be here, in between, while they fight for an unknown reason. She wriggled out of Nott’s clutch but, he held on tighter and to make matters even more difficult for her, Malfoy grabbed her hand, making it impossible to escape.

“You scared?” Nott taunted, a cruel smirk painted on his face.

“Scared? You wish.” The Blonde bit back, a sneer on his angular visage. The two Slytherins glared at each other, silently challenging the other to make a move and in the midst of it all, a quiet storm was brewing and when the waves grew harsher, a raging hurricane emerged. Hermione pried herself out of the two bickering boys and turned to glare at them.

“The two of you can fight each other all you want but, don’t ever do it with me in between. I have no intention of getting involved. Now, if you two don’t mind, I have a project to deal with. Nott, if you’re still interested, you can find me but, until then, finish whatever childish dilemma you two have outside of the library. I would feel bad for the books if you two start hexing one another silly.” She articulated succinctly and without preamble, she swept out of the scene, annoyed to death by being caught in between a fight between two Slytherins that shouldn’t even concern her but, at the back of her mind, she had a thought that she was more than just in between.

**Author's Note:**

> Hiii! I have a new story for y'all! For those who know me, I know I said that I won't be able to write or update my other stories but, this story is begging to be written and posted so, here it is! I actually lost to myself...I know, it sounds weird but, in my head, it sounds perfectly normal. Damn me and my lack of self-control. Anyway, this is a new story revolving around my favorite character, Hermione. I mean, come on! Who doesn't love Hermione? She's the perfect combination of smarts, sass, and looks. She's the perfect heroine! I simply adore her. She can be with anyone but, I seriously don't like her with Ron. No offense to all Romione shippers out there, I just can't see the appeal to it. *hides under a desk I will be saying this now, this story will be updating once a month. I am a currently caught up with fixing my life here at my new home in L.A. so, I hope you can put up with me. Reviews are most welcome because I love reading what you guys think of my story and it is very motivating, ya know. Don't forget to favorite and follow me! Stay awesome, lovies~
> 
> Love, love, love,
> 
> cappucakku
> 
> P.S. I almost forgot. This is an AU wherein Harry defeated Voldemort at the age of one-year old (what a genius babe!).


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